A Snag in Love
by Amethyst Tiger
Summary: Yusuke and Keiko have an arguement with some long-lasting effects. Will love triumph over this little lovers spat? Read and find out. COMPLETED!!!
1. Default Chapter

A Snag in Love  
By: Amethyst Tiger  
  
  
Chapter: 1  
  
Keiko Yukimura paced back and forth in front of Genkai's temple. The old woman who owned it  
sat on the temple steps, quietly sipping tea and watching the aggravated girl. Keiko had come a few hours  
ago, asking where Yusuke had run off to this time. Genkai had refused to lie to her and told her that he  
had gone off to the Makai to train. Keiko had not taken well to this and Genkai did not blame her. Yusuke  
had a habit running off without telling anyone, but lately he had been doing it more and leaving for longer  
periods of time, despite his promise to stay around more.  
Genkai looked up as Yukina appeared by her side. The koorime girl looked worried.   
"How is she?" She asked softly.  
"Hm…she won't stop pacing. She's very angry, and rightfully so. Yusuke is being more of an  
inconsiderate dimwit than usual." Yukina nodded in agreement. Yusuke was her friend, but he really  
wasn't being fair to Keiko.   
"I spoke to Kurama only a few minutes ago. He said he and Hiei would go to the Makai to find Yusuke."  
Now the girl sat down next to the woman and wrapped her arms around herself.   
Genkai noticed something in Yukina's voice when she spoke of Hiei. The fire-demon still refused  
to tell her that he was the long lost brother that she had been searching for, but Yukina was smart.   
"You know." Genkai said simply. She did not look at the one whom she spoke to, but merely sipped her  
tea and watched Keiko. The koorime girl nodded.   
"Yes…I know. And I understand why he does not wish to tell me about our relation, but it's sort of hard to  
miss. I can feel something inside my heart when he is around. I know when he watches me, looks over  
me…he protects me." Genkai nodded silently. She was happy for Yukina. The girl had been so sad not  
knowing the whereabouts of her twin, but since she had found out, well, the sadness that had shone so  
obviously in her ruby eyes was not as evident.   
"Will you tell him that you know?" She smiled sadly and gently shook her head. Suddenly, a shimmer  
caught Genkai's old, yet keen eyes. She watched as two tears fell from Yukina's pale cheeks and  
transformed into sparkling gems at their feet. The old woman patted the koorime's knee. "No need for  
crying Yukina. You must trust that the love and the bond which the two of you share, will not fail to bring  
you together in the future." And with that, Yukina's tears ceased and Genkai picked up the gems and held  
them in her palm. A small burst of ki enveloped them, and they disintegrated.   
They looked back simultaneously at Keiko who was still pacing. Genkai imagined that she would  
continue her merciless assault on the ground all night if she had too. No sort of coaxing would ever  
convince her to do otherwise. She sighed. Yusuke was in for it this time. For someone with an explosive  
temper like Keiko, she was actually pretty patient and understanding of Yusuke. She knew well enough  
that Yusuke had become a youkai and thereby had a need to train, challenge his own abilities. He wanted  
to be stronger and to be with other demons. Keiko knew and understood all of this. She had told him so,  
but Yusuke was taking advantage of it and she could no longer contain her temper  
Genkai looked up abruptly.   
"They're back." Yukina also looked up from her folded hands.   
"What?" Then she saw them in the distance. The shadows of night were masking them well, but their  
figures were silhouetted by the moonlight, which shone brightly above them. There were three of them.  
Kurama's long, flowing hair easily identified him, and Hiei's spiky hair was just as betraying. Yusuke  
walked in the middle of them. His hair was lacking its usual slicked back style and looked like it could  
stand a tango with a hairbrush sometime in the near future.  
Keiko stopped as she too, saw them descending the temple steps. Her arms were folded at her  
waist and she stood perfectly erect. She did not move, nor did she blink. Even when Yusuke left Kurama  
and Hiei's side and approached her steadily, she only stared him. Silence was present for quite some time  
before Yusuke placed a hand on her arm.   
"Are you ok?" He asked gently. "Kurama and Hiei came and got me. They said that there was a problem,  
but everything looks alri-"   
"A problem? Yes Yusuke, I'd say there was a problem." Keiko's voice cut him off as she took a step back  
in order to escape from his touch. Yusuke looked somewhat confused.   
"Why? What's the matter?" Her eyes flashed.   
"You, Yusuke Urameshi, are the problem!" Now Yusuke was more surprised than anything else.   
"Me? What did I do?" Keiko shook her head.   
"Everything!"  
"I don-"   
"Your doing everything! You disappeared last month with no explanation what so ever! I completely  
understand that…if it's Reikai business, but Yusuke, you don't just run off because Koenma happens to  
send you on a mission! No! You run off because you want to go visit the Makai and train and fight and who  
knows what else! Business is one thing, but going off for your own pleasure and leaving me here to worry  
about you, is another! How could you do this to me Yusuke?"   
The boy was shocked at her sudden outburst. For a while, all he could do was open and close his  
jaw. Finally he found the words to speak.   
"Keiko, I can explain."   
"Oh, is that so? Ok, explain Yusuke. Explain to me why you keep disappearing without my knowing.  
Explain to me why, when you do this, you do it just for the hell of it. Explain to me why you don't seem to  
give a damn about how I feel about all of this!"   
Keiko was screaming at him now, her voice echoed everywhere and none of them had ever heard  
her this angry before. Kurama and Hiei moved over to where Genkai sat next to Yukina. The ice maiden  
grabbed for Genkai's hand, as she did not like the argument that was taking place. Kurama watched this  
with his usual calm expression and Hiei with is usual stoic one.   
"Keiko is right though." Kurama said softly. Hiei nodded.   
"Yes." He agreed. Yusuke was just being irresponsible and now was paying the consequences for it. The  
couple fought all the time, however, none of them had ever heard Keiko so very serious and enraged.  
"I think you're blowing this out proportion." Came Yusuke's sudden reply. He had gathered his wits now  
and was no longer caught off guard. Keiko's eyebrows raised at this comment. She narrowed her eyes at  
him, an expression practically daring him to say more. Yusuke, not being one to back down from a  
challenge, did.   
"Keiko, I'm sorry you feel this way, but, damn, what do you want me to do? Stop training? I'm not perfect  
and my life doesn't revolve around you!" Suddenly, the sound of a slap echoed through the air. Yusuke put  
a hand to his offended cheek.   
"What the hell was that for!?" Keiko glared at him.   
"For being a self centered bastard! I NEVER asked you to be perfect! I NEVER asked you to stop training,  
or to let your world revolve around me! I just wanted you to, oh, I don't know… maybe stick around long  
enough for me to ask you about invitations, seating, food! We have a frickin' wedding in three months  
Yusuke! Three! What don't you understand about that?"   
Yusuke stared at her, once again at a loss for words. He glanced then, at the engagement ring on  
her finger. He had given it to her last year. He'd nearly forgotten about it. His thoughts took a sudden jolt  
as he realized that he had forgotten about his own wedding. Perhaps, maybe, he had been spending a  
little too much time in the Makai. An idea came to him and he couldn't help a small smile.   
"Keiko…listen, maybe you're right." She looked at him and her expression shifted to one of surprise.  
"I am?" Yusuke nodded.   
"Yeah, but I have a solution to our problem."   
"You do?" He nodded.   
"Why don't we have the wedding in the Makai? Hell, why don't we start our life there? Technically, I'm still  
the heir of Raizen's territory. I'll just take it over and we can live together there."  
All was silent, and Keiko just looked at him blankly for a moment.   
"Yusuke. We can't have the wedding in the Makai. We can't live in the Makai." Her tone was calm and  
very to the point. The human turned youkai, blinked.   
"Why?" Came the question. Little did he know that such a seemingly insignificant three-letter word could  
cause such a horrible out-burst. "  
Why? Yusuke, this is what I've been talking about! You haven't been around long enough to even pay  
attention to what's been going on. My father suffered a stroke two weeks ago. He's in the hospital. Mother  
is going through an emotional break down and it's all I can do to get her to eat! Also, what about college? I  
didn't graduate at the top of my class, and go to one of the best universities around, to forget all of my  
dreams and plans for the future, so I can go and be widely known as 'The Great Urameshi's Wife'! I mean  
how in the hell would I explain all of that to my family? My God Yusuke, I don't understand how you can be  
so clueless! All you care about anymore is training, and screwing around in the world next door! Wake up,  
because you were human before you were demon, and your life is HERE!"   
Yusuke's fists clenched at his sides. He was nearly shaking with rage and the words that tumbled  
out of his mouth did not fail to surprise him, as well as everyone else.  
"Then maybe it shouldn't be." He said, and he immediately regretted it, but was too proud to take it back.   
Keiko looked as though someone had just pulled the heart from her very chest.   
"I…I mean…you…" Words fell clumsily from her mouth. She looked at his eyes, which were still holding  
anger and then at the ground. Suddenly, she looked up at him and then down at her hand. Quietly, she  
slipped the ring from her finger and held it up at eye level.  
"Very well. This belongs to you now." Yusuke stared at the glimmering object that she held in her slim  
fingers. Keiko's eyes told him that he could have a second chance, if he refused it, but…what if they  
ended up spending the rest of their lives like this? Arguing all the time, what if eventually, they stopped  
loving one another? Slowly, he reached up, and took the ring from her fingers. Keiko swallowed hard and  
nodded. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she took one last look at him, before she walked passed  
him, and down the temple steps, not even sparing a glance back at her former fiancé.  
Yusuke suddenly, turned and began walking away as well.  
"Yusuke, wait!" Kurama called after his friend, but the boy did not respond. He merely disappeared into  
the dark forest that surrounded Genkai's temple. The kitsune started after him, but stopped when he felt a  
stern grip on his for-arm. He looked back at Hiei, who's red eyes spoke volumes that only he could read.  
Kurama nodded. They looked back then at Genkai and at Yukina. Genkai wore her usual expression,  
though her brow was slightly wrinkled in worry. Yukina pulled a handkerchief from her kimono and dabbed  
at her eyes. However, this could not stop the tears from falling once again. She looked to the two demons,  
but focused mainly on Hiei.   
"What…will happen now?" She managed to whisper between her soft sobs. The fire demon smiled  
slightly, showing as much sympathy for his dear sister as he dared.   
"It's up to them." He answered. And as though the heavens had felt the tragedy that had just taken place,  
it started to rain. 


	2. A Snag in Love Chapter 2

A Snag in Love  
  
By: Amethyst Tiger  
  
  
  
Chapter: 1  
  
Keiko Yukimura paced back and forth in front of Genkai's temple. The old woman who owned it sat on the temple steps, quietly sipping tea and watching the aggravated girl. Keiko had come a few hours ago, asking where Yusuke had run off to this time. Genkai had refused to lie to her and told her that he had gone off to the Makai to train. Keiko had not taken well to this and Genkai did not blame her. Yusuke had a habit running off without telling anyone, but lately he had been doing it more and leaving for longer periods of time, despite his promise to stay around more. Genkai looked up as Yukina appeared by her side. The koorime girl looked worried. "How is she?" She asked softly. "Hm.she won't stop pacing. She's very angry, and rightfully so. Yusuke is being more of an inconsiderate dimwit than usual." Yukina nodded in agreement. Yusuke was her friend, but he really wasn't being fair to Keiko. "I spoke to Kurama only a few minutes ago. He said he and Hiei would go to the Makai to find Yusuke." Now the girl sat down next to the woman and wrapped her arms around herself. Genkai noticed something in Yukina's voice when she spoke of Hiei. The fire-demon still refused to tell her that he was the long lost brother that she had been searching for, but Yukina was smart. "You know." Genkai said simply. She did not look at the one whom she spoke to, but merely sipped her tea and watched Keiko. The koorime girl nodded. "Yes.I know. And I understand why he does not wish to tell me about our relation, but it's sort of hard to miss. I can feel something inside my heart when he is around. I know when he watches me, looks over me.he protects me." Genkai nodded silently. She was happy for Yukina. The girl had been so sad not knowing the whereabouts of her twin, but since she had found out, well, the sadness that had shone so obviously in her ruby eyes was not as evident. "Will you tell him that you know?" She smiled sadly and gently shook her head. Suddenly, a shimmer caught Genkai's old, yet keen eyes. She watched as two tears fell from Yukina's pale cheeks and transformed into sparkling gems at their feet. The old woman patted the koorime's knee. "No need for crying Yukina. You must trust that the love and the bond which the two of you share, will not fail to bring you together in the future." And with that, Yukina's tears ceased and Genkai picked up the gems and held them in her palm. A small burst of ki enveloped them, and they disintegrated. They looked back simultaneously at Keiko who was still pacing. Genkai imagined that she would continue her merciless assault on the ground all night if she had too. No sort of coaxing would ever convince her to do otherwise. She sighed. Yusuke was in for it this time. For someone with an explosive temper like Keiko, she was actually pretty patient and understanding of Yusuke. She knew well enough that Yusuke had become a youkai and thereby had a need to train, challenge his own abilities. He wanted to be stronger and to be with other demons. Keiko knew and understood all of this. She had told him so, but Yusuke was taking advantage of it and she could no longer contain her temper Genkai looked up abruptly. "They're back." Yukina also looked up from her folded hands. "What?" Then she saw them in the distance. The shadows of night were masking them well, but their figures were silhouetted by the moonlight, which shone brightly above them. There were three of them. Kurama's long, flowing hair easily identified him, and Hiei's spiky hair was just as betraying. Yusuke walked in the middle of them. His hair was lacking its usual slicked back style and looked like it could stand a tango with a hairbrush sometime in the near future. Keiko stopped as she too, saw them descending the temple steps. Her arms were folded at her waist and she stood perfectly erect. She did not move, nor did she blink. Even when Yusuke left Kurama and Hiei's side and approached her steadily, she only stared him. Silence was present for quite some time before Yusuke placed a hand on her arm. "Are you ok?" He asked gently. "Kurama and Hiei came and got me. They said that there was a problem, but everything looks alri-" "A problem? Yes Yusuke, I'd say there was a problem." Keiko's voice cut him off as she took a step back in order to escape from his touch. Yusuke looked somewhat confused. "Why? What's the matter?" Her eyes flashed. "You, Yusuke Urameshi, are the problem!" Now Yusuke was more surprised than anything else. "Me? What did I do?" Keiko shook her head. "Everything!" "I don-" "Your doing everything! You disappeared last month with no explanation what so ever! I completely understand that.if it's Reikai business, but Yusuke, you don't just run off because Koenma happens to send you on a mission! No! You run off because you want to go visit the Makai and train and fight and who knows what else! Business is one thing, but going off for your own pleasure and leaving me here to worry about you, is another! How could you do this to me Yusuke?" The boy was shocked at her sudden outburst. For a while, all he could do was open and close his jaw. Finally he found the words to speak. "Keiko, I can explain." "Oh, is that so? Ok, explain Yusuke. Explain to me why you keep disappearing without my knowing. Explain to me why, when you do this, you do it just for the hell of it. Explain to me why you don't seem to give a damn about how I feel about all of this!" Keiko was screaming at him now, her voice echoed everywhere and none of them had ever heard her this angry before. Kurama and Hiei moved over to where Genkai sat next to Yukina. The ice maiden grabbed for Genkai's hand, as she did not like the argument that was taking place. Kurama watched this with his usual calm expression and Hiei with is usual stoic one. "Keiko is right though." Kurama said softly. Hiei nodded. "Yes." He agreed. Yusuke was just being irresponsible and now was paying the consequences for it. The couple fought all the time, however, none of them had ever heard Keiko so very serious and enraged. "I think you're blowing this out proportion." Came Yusuke's sudden reply. He had gathered his wits now and was no longer caught off guard. Keiko's eyebrows raised at this comment. She narrowed her eyes at him, an expression practically daring him to say more. Yusuke, not being one to back down from a challenge, did. "Keiko, I'm sorry you feel this way, but, damn, what do you want me to do? Stop training? I'm not perfect and my life doesn't revolve around you!" Suddenly, the sound of a slap echoed through the air. Yusuke put a hand to his offended cheek. "What the hell was that for!?" Keiko glared at him. "For being a self centered bastard! I NEVER asked you to be perfect! I NEVER asked you to stop training, or to let your world revolve around me! I just wanted you to, oh, I don't know. maybe stick around long enough for me to ask you about invitations, seating, food! We have a frickin' wedding in three months Yusuke! Three! What don't you understand about that?" Yusuke stared at her, once again at a loss for words. He glanced then, at the engagement ring on her finger. He had given it to her last year. He'd nearly forgotten about it. His thoughts took a sudden jolt as he realized that he had forgotten about his own wedding. Perhaps, maybe, he had been spending a little too much time in the Makai. An idea came to him and he couldn't help a small smile. "Keiko.listen, maybe you're right." She looked at him and her expression shifted to one of surprise. "I am?" Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, but I have a solution to our problem." "You do?" He nodded. "Why don't we have the wedding in the Makai? Hell, why don't we start our life there? Technically, I'm still the heir of Raizen's territory. I'll just take it over and we can live together there." All was silent, and Keiko just looked at him blankly for a moment. "Yusuke. We can't have the wedding in the Makai. We can't live in the Makai." Her tone was calm and very to the point. The human turned youkai, blinked. "Why?" Came the question. Little did he know that such a seemingly insignificant three-letter word could cause such a horrible out- burst. "Why? Yusuke, this is what I've been talking about! You haven't been around long enough to even pay attention to what's been going on. My father suffered a stroke two weeks ago. He's in the hospital. Mother is going through an emotional break down and it's all I can do to get her to eat! Also, what about college? I didn't graduate at the top of my class, and go to one of the best universities around, to forget all of my dreams and plans for the future, so I can go and be widely known as 'The Great Urameshi's Wife'! I mean how in the hell would I explain all of that to my family? My God Yusuke, I don't understand how you can be so clueless! All you care about anymore is training, and screwing around in the world next door! Wake up, because you were human before you were demon, and your life is HERE!" Yusuke's fists clenched at his sides. He was nearly shaking with rage and the words that tumbled out of his mouth did not fail to surprise him, as well as everyone else. "Then maybe it shouldn't be." He said, and he immediately regretted it, but was too proud to take it back. Keiko looked as though someone had just pulled the heart from her very chest. "I.I mean.you." Words fell clumsily from her mouth. She looked at his eyes, which were still holding anger and then at the ground. Suddenly, she looked up at him and then down at her hand. Quietly, she slipped the ring from her finger and held it up at eyelevel. "Very well. This belongs to you now." Yusuke stared at the glimmering object that she held in her slim fingers. Keiko's eyes told him that he could have a second chance, if he refused it, but.what if they ended up spending the rest of their lives like this? Arguing all the time, what if eventually, they stopped loving one another? Slowly, he reached up, and took the ring from her fingers. Keiko swallowed hard and nodded. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she took one last look at him, before she walked passed him, and down the temple steps, not even sparing a glance back at her former fiancé. Yusuke suddenly, turned and began walking away as well. "Yusuke, wait!" Kurama called after his friend, but the boy did not respond. He merely disappeared into the dark forest that surrounded Genkai's temple. The kitsune started after him, but stopped when he felt a stern grip on his for-arm. He looked back at Hiei, who's red eyes spoke volumes that only he could read. Kurama nodded. They looked back then at Genkai and at Yukina. Genkai wore her usual expression, though her brow was slightly wrinkled in worry. Yukina pulled a handkerchief from her kimono and dabbed at her eyes. However, this could not stop the tears from falling once again. She looked to the two demons, but focused mainly on Hiei. "What.will happen now?" She managed to whisper between her soft sobs. The fire demon smiled slightly, showing as much sympathy for his dear sister as he dared. "It's up to them." He answered. And as though the heavens had felt the tragedy that had just taken place, it started to rain.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, and typing this puts a spear through my poor, fragile heart, but oh well.life goes on! .Or does it!? ::Dramatic Drum Roll:: (Ok.that was weird.)  
  
Author's Note: Well, I realized about 5 minutes after I posted the first chapter of this fic, that I had forgotten to put the disclaimer up. So, if you'll look above, there it is in pretty bold letters! Now that, we've taken care of THAT little flaw, I realized that I also forgot an author's note! I like writing author's notes, because I enjoy rambling, so here it is, also.in pretty bold letters! Anyway, here is chapter 2 of A Snag in Love. Sorry it took so long to get it up.I experienced some technical difficulties. (Basically that means I accidentally deleted the chapter and had to rewrite it from memory ^_^,) Anyway, keep sending those reviews, good or bad, I just need input! So read and please enjoy! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Y) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (-.-) KAWAII!!!!!!!!! (")(")o ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter: 2  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 7 Years Later ~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hold still, Hiei, you're only making it worse." Kurama struggled to keep the fire demon in one place. He'd gone and gotten himself injured again while training. "It's not that bad of a wound." Protested Hiei, doing his best to squirm out of Kurama's reach. "It may not be much of one now, but it could easily progress into something worse. Just stop moving for moment, would you?" Finally, Hiei sighed and gave into the care that the fox bestowed upon him. Hiei watched as Kurama grew several small plants from the ground. His delicate looking hands would take a little something from each of them, and then the little plants would die away or shrink back into their seedling form. "Here, can you singe these for me?" He held out his hand to Hiei, who raised his eyebrow at the little bits and pieces of greenery in Kurama's palm. He shrugged though, and with a very small burst of ki, singed them into black, brittle little bits. The fox nodded in approval and then closed his hand, gently squeezing his fist in order to crush what was in it. He reached over the semi-deep gash across Hiei's chest and sprinkled the charred plants into the wound. Hiei hissed in pain. "Sorry, it might sting a bit." The fire youkai glared up at him. "You couldn't have said something sooner?" Kurama shrugged and began bandaging him carefully and neatly, as he always did. "You can put your shirt back on now." He said, once he was done. Hiei nodded and did as suggested by his companion. Hiei finished swiftly and stood up. "Where to now?" The youko looked down at him and smiled. "I was thinking we should--" Kurama froze suddenly. His sentence was cut off and forgotten about as his keen fox ears perked up. Golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you feel it?" Hiei nodded and drew his sword. The pair waited silently. The youkai that they were sensing wasn't far off, and didn't seem to be that strong. However, there were those who practiced deceitful tactics, and in a place like the Makai, it was better to stay on your guard. They saw then, over the hill that they stood on, a small figure approaching them. As it came into view, its looks became more defined. It was a very short demon, no more than 3 and a-half feet tall. It had beady black eyes set low in the sockets and two, neatly folded wings on it's slightly hunched back. His skin was a dark shade of purple, which was somewhat of a contrast to the royal blue trousers and vest that he wore. Long, slick, black hair was held in ponytail that trailed behind him and near equally long arms hung at his side. In one of is over sized hands was a piece of rolled up paper. Kurama and Hiei watched stoically as the little youkai hobbled up to them, panting. "Kurama, is you?" The youkai looked pointedly at the proud, tall, youko in front of him. Hiei exchanged glances with his friend and finally, Kurama nodded. "I am." He said simply. The creature looked pleased. "Good, good. A message for you.here." The creature gently put the note in his hand and then collapsed on the ground. His large hands fanned himself. "Traveled, Sashi has, for two whole days. Did not stop. Not stop for anything! He had to give message to Kurama.important, yes, yes, very important. Kurama must read immediately." The kitsune shook his head at the messenger's speech and then unrolled the paper. His golden eyes scanned the words, his lips moving, but not uttering any words. Hiei eyed the still panting Sashi. The creature had wings, which meant he could fly, or at least, he used to be able to. It was obvious that he had lost the ability rather recently, which would explain why he had traveled on foot, and why he was so out of breathe. However, Hiei did not have much time to ponder this further, as his thoughts were abruptly cut off by a curse. He looked up to see Kurama glaring daggers at the paper. "Bad news, fox?" He asked. The youko looked down at him and sighed in aggravation. "Depends on what your definition of bad is." Kurama said, and then handed the paper to Hiei, who also, quickly read it. "I see. What will you do?" He asked then. "Sashi think, Kurama go! Yomi-sama has bad temper, could hurt Kurama if he does not go. Sashi knows it is bad to get in trouble with Yomi-sama. Yomi- sama punished Sashi, now Sashi can no longer fly." Chimed in the little demon, who had gained his breath and was now standing. Once again, Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks, only this time they were slightly more sympathetic. "He says it's urgent, Kurama. Perhaps we should go." Hiei offered. Kurama sighed. Hiei was right. It was better not to take chances, but just going to Yomi's made him nervous. Yomi was, well, he was nice enough, but every time he was around the Makai lord, he felt as though Yomi was constantly following him. He knew that the blind king hindered feelings for him, but Kurama wasn't interested, as he had not been in the past, and wouldn't be in the future. It was just that with Yomi being so powerful now, he wasn't sure if he could trust him. If he did decide to try something, then Kurama had a feeling that he probably wouldn't be able to stop him. Hiei seemed to pick up on Kurama's feelings. "Don't worry, fox. He won't try anything while I'm there." He said. Kurama nodded, a little more reassured now. "Fine, let's go." Said the fox. He looked down at Sashi then. "You there. Are you coming?" Sashi shook his head. "No, Sashi go not. He just got away. Must go now, he must, he must. Must find clan again. But Sashi wishes luck to you both. Farewell!" And with that, he hobbled off, leaving the other two demons to depart on their own.  
  
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"Yomi-sama. Your guest has arrived. He has brought a companion with him as well." Yomi looked up from what he was doing. "Kurama is here? And you say he has brought another too? Fine, bring them in. Clear this room immediately. This is a private meeting and I do not wish to be disturbed." The servant bowed deeply. "Yes my Lord." He walked over to help Yoda who was already shooing demons out of the large room. Yoda and the servant were the last to leave and shut the doors behind them. Yomi waited a little impatiently. He wanted to see Kurama again, that alluring youko. Indeed, the fox had betrayed him, but he still couldn't wipe him from his mind. So, instead of hating his thoughts of the silver youko, he embraced them. The only down side to seeing Kurama, was that he had brought someone with him. Now their visit would not be quite as intimate as he had hoped. Ah well, but another time, another place perhaps. At about that time, the two large doors opened and in walked Kurama, adorned in his youko form and usual white garments, golden eyes flashing beautifully, but deadly. Yomi could not suppress a smile. For although he could not see him with his two eyes, his mind and senses showed him a most beautiful sight. That smile did not go unnoticed by Kurama who moved a little closer to Hiei. Yomi frowned a little at the fire demon, and Hiei returned the look. "Kurama, and.Hiei. You both came. I'm sorry to have summoned you on such short notice." Yomi said, offering a smile to the pair. "Yomi, we did not come here to exchange pleasantries. In your message you said that there was an urgent situation. That is the only reason we're standing in front of you right now." Kurama said, rather bitterly. He had his arms crossed and was looking quite annoyed. Despite his body language, and insinuated verbal insults, Yomi still smiled. He just couldn't help it! The king cleared his throat briefly before taking on a serious facial expression. "Yes, there is a problem. It has to do with Raizen's heir." He said. The mention of Yusuke grabbed Hiei and Kurama's attention immediately, killing off any hostile feelings that they had previously had. "Yusuke? It's about Yusuke?" Kurama asked. Yomi nodded somewhat gravely before motioning for them to sit down on the cushions that were situated around a black, marble table. He joined them, sitting on the opposite side, and then placed his elbows on the tabletop and folded his hands together. "Ten days ago, I received word that a rather powerful and intellectual band of demons was headed toward Gandara. They were being led by a youkai who we've yet to learn the identity of, however, he is extremely strong and could become a future threat. Anyway, after I heard this, I sent out more soldiers to patrol my territory, as well as the city. Despite my efforts, the band managed to get past my guards and create some havoc, although, it was nothing that couldn't be repaired almost immediately. We chased them all the way to the border and beyond. Given a little more time we could have caught them, but as I said, these demons are rather intelligent, and therefore, evaded us by slipping into Raizen's, now Yusuke's territory." "So? What's stopping you from going after them?" Asked Kurama, tilting his head slightly. All of the information Yomi was giving didn't mean anything to him. All he really cared about was how Yusuke was involved. Hiei glanced at Kurama and then at Yomi before speaking. "The three Makai lords have a sort of pact. Neither can enter the other's territory without permission given from that particular ruler. That's why they could not pursue them." The fire demon was silent after that explanation, also waiting patiently to find out how Yusuke was tied into all of this. Kurama nodded his thank you to his friend and then turned his golden eyes to Yomi. "If that is the case, Yomi, then why don't you get permission from Yusuke. Surely he wouldn't deny you. Further more, Yusuke is very powerful, and despite how me act at times, he is also quite intelligent. He could handle these youkai as easily as you." Said the fox. Yomi sighed in frustration. "I realize that, and believe me, I've tried to contact him, but to no avail. He won't send back any sort of message. I've already sent three, all of which seem to have been ignored. Oddly enough, I haven't been able to speak to him for quite some time now. I've also considered that he would handle the enemy on his own, and yet, I've received word that they are still at large." "Have you contacted Mukuro?" Hiei asked. The king nodded. "Indeed. She has heard nothing of the youkai, and has not spoken or had any contact with Yusuke for a long time either. It's rather strange really. Although Yusuke was competing with me during the tournament, I've always held respect for him. For a period of time, he did not necessarily want to take Raizen's place, and if I remember correctly, wasn't going to. Then, about, 7 years ago, he came to me and told me that he had changed his mind. He wasn't the same then, as I had remembered him. After he took over Raizen's territory, I rarely heard from him, but received word that his own city was not very suitable for living. That it was somewhat neglected. I simply can't make sense of it. So what say you to that?" Asked Yomi, shifting his position slightly. Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, both of them recalling the events that had occurred seven years before. The break up between Yusuke and Keiko had truly been tragic. For everyone knew that they were meant for one another. However, there was no amount of coaxing that could repair their broken relationship. Shortly afterwards, they heard that Yusuke had decided to succeed Raizen and was now one of the three Makai lords. Every now and then, Kurama and Hiei would see Yusuke, but it was by pure coincidence that they would run into each other while training or traveling, or something like that. Now that they thought about it, no one, including them, had actually been in Yusuke's territory. "If that band of youkai begin operating from within Yusuke's borders, it could spell serious trouble. You two know Yusuke. I called you here because I thought that perhaps your would know what the trouble was, and how to fix it." Yomi said suddenly. His words pulled the other two demons from their old memories and urged them to think of the present situation. They looked at one another, golden eyes meeting crimson. A wordless conversation took place and a silent decision was made. "I think I know what the problem is, Yomi, and I think I know how to solve it. You see, in all the worlds, there is only one who can pull Yusuke together and put his mind back on track." "Keiko Yukimura." Hiei answered Yomi's unspoken question. Kurama nodded, and continued on. "Yes, she was his fiancé, and best friend before that. It was seven years ago that they broke up three months before the wedding. They still cared for each other, but things were said and.well, it all ended badly. My guess is that Yusuke is emotionally scarred from that, because believe me, he still loves her." Yomi nodded. He understood that well enough. Kurama, he still cared for Kurama. He still remembered the pain he had felt when he found out that it was the youko who had hired that assassin to try and kill him. It was these feelings that led him to have sympathy for Yusuke. Although he was not clear on what had happened between this Keiko and Yusuke, he did know that they had to get them back together. "Then there is only one course of action that I can see. We need to find this girl and bring her back here. We're racing against time though. As mentioned before, I do not know the identity of the demon that leads this group and his powers are a mystery. We need to act as quickly as possible." Yomi said. "Easier said than done I'm afraid. You see the last time Yusuke and Keiko ever saw one another was at Kuwabara and Yukina's wedding. We tried to get them to speak to one another, but that also ended in an argument between the two. Keiko is stubborn, and coaxing her to come see Yusuke.could prove to be difficult." Stated Kurama. Hiei nodded. "Not mention that Keiko could have found someone else by now." He added. However, Yomi shook his head at both remarks. "I don't care what methods are used, just find a way to get her here. We don't have time to brood over it." Kurama and Hiei nodded in agreement. Then, Yomi rose from his seat, and the two other demons followed his example. They all said their good- byes to one another, although the comments were out of politeness and habit, more than anything else. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"To the Ningenkai?" Kurama nodded at his friend. "Yes. I think we should find Kuwabara and Yukina. If anyone will know about Keiko, it'll be them." Hiei nodded. "Let's go, then." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	3. A Snag in Love Chapter 3

Chapter: 3  
  
  
  
"Yukina! I'm home!" Called Kuwabara as he entered his house, closing the door behind him. Yukina peeked her head out from the kitchen and smiled. "Welcome home Kuwa-chan." She said softly. Kuwabara smiled back. He'd been married to the ice maiden for five years and yet it felt as though they had only been married last week! Sometimes, he would even catch himself blushing when she spoke to him. He set his briefcase down on a near-by table and then proceeded to the kitchen. He kissed his pretty, young wife on the cheek, and sat down at the table. A sigh escaped him. "Rough day at work?" Asked Yukina, tilting her head slightly. Her red eyes showed such concern that Kuwabara almost felt guilty for being tired. "No more rough than any other day. Nothing to worry about, I promise." He said. However, despite his words, Yukina watched him for a few moments before turning to finish the dishes. "Let me help with those Yukina." Offered Kuwabara. "Oh no you don't. You go into the living room, turn on the television, or read the paper, or something. Just rest." She ordered, in as stern a voice as she could muster. "But I-" He began to protest. "No. I can handle these just fine. Now go on, and I'll call you when dinner is ready, ok?" Kuwabara sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine, Yukina. You win.as usual, I might add." Yukina smiled. "The kids are sleeping over at friend's houses tonight, so you won't be bothered. Now go on." With that, she shooed him out of the kitchen, and continued her washing. It was several hours later, after Yukina had finished the dishes and after they had both eaten dinner, found the couple relaxing in the living room. Kuwabara was sitting comfortably in his recliner watching television, his constant companions, the cats, huddled all around him. Yukina sat mending holes that her son had torn in his favorite shirt, although, between her daughter and her son's clothing combined, she had a lot of work to do. They were healers like their mother, and fighters like their father, thereby, they were extremely active and never failed to come home without torn up clothing and bruises. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. Yukina looked up from her sewing. "Who could it be at this time of night?" She asked aloud. Kuwabara looked at his watch and shrugged. "No idea. Here, though, let me get it." He said, pushing some slumbering felines off of his lap. The cats yawned and cracked their eyes open, only to stretch and go right back to sleep. Yukina smiled at them and was rewarded by having a bunch of them curl up at her feet. The koorime startled as she heard her husband exclaim, "You're back!" Suddenly, in walked Kuwabara followed by two of the most unlikely guests she could have expected. She let out a small gasp of surprise as she saw Kurama, in his human form, and Hiei beside him. They both smiled at her, even Hiei, although, it was only just. "Kurama, Hiei, you've returned!" She stood up immediately, setting her sewing aside and greeted them both with a hug, although the one she gave Hiei was more affectionate. "It's so wonderful to see you again! I." But she let her sentence fall as she realized that the pair had come for more than just a social gathering. She nodded silently and motioned for them to come follow her. Once everyone was seated around the table, all with cups of tea and a plate of cookies in the middle, Yukina spoke. "It' s wonderful to see you both, but I've got a feeling that perhaps you're here for more than a visit." Kuwabara, who had, until thus time, been oblivious to the spoken fact, looked up from the tea that he sipped. "What?" He asked. They all looked over at him and Hiei rolled his eyes. "Idiot." He mumbled. Kuwabara ignored the comment in favor of finding out what his wife had meant when she had spoken. Yukina nodded to Kurama and Hiei. "They will explain." She said simply. Kurama also nodded, and took the opportunity that Yukina had given him to speak. He cleared his throat and explained about Yusuke, and their meeting with Yomi, and what they planned to do about it. He couldn't help but hold a sour note in his voice when he spoke the Makai Lord's name. Once again, Yomi had been pleasant, but once again, he had felt rather unnerved around him. That was one thing that Kurama couldn't stand. He hated being surprised, thrown off guard, or getting nervous. It left him feeling vulnerable, which was also a feeling that he despised. However, on he spoke, and when he finished, everyone was silent for a time. However, silence tends to be much like a shadow. It comes only at certain times, and stays only for a certain amount of time. "So what?" Asked Kuwabara, as grabbed a cookie and started munching on it. He passed loving stares at Yukina who would smile back sweetly. Hiei watched all of this carefully. He still thought Kuwabara was an idiot, but he was kind and caring, and treated his dear sister well. He made Yukina happy and that was what mattered. After all, Kuwabara wasn't a bad guy.annoying yes, but not bad. He'd decided a while ago to entrust Yukina with Kuwabara, when Kurama decided that he'd like to be in the Makai, and Hiei went with him. "So, we need to know about Keiko." Said Hiei coldly, glancing up in time to see Yukina smile lovingly at him. He expressed something similar in his eyes before turning back to Kuwabara. "We need to know what she's been doing, and particularly if she's seeing anyone." Finished the fire demon. Kuwabara shrugged. "Keiko? Wow, um.she's been doing a lot actually. A few years ago she started to work at a magazine as both a photographer and writer." Kurama looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "I thought she was going to school to be a teacher." "Yes, that was her plan, but then, she just changed her mind one day.not to soon after.well, after the break-up." Said Yukina, a slight sadness coming to her eyes. "In any case, though, she's become rather renowned, and has traveled all over the world. I must say.she went through a period of time when.when she was quite depressed, and she would barely speak to anyone, or even come out of her apartment. And then, one day, she came rushing over here saying that she got a job. The next thing we knew, she was traveling and winning journalistic awards. She's.quite good really." Finished the koorime. Kuwabara nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and that's not all that has changed. Her entire attitude and.well.there are some other things too, but you'll find those out soon enough. As for whether or not she's got a boyfriend, I don't really know. Like Yukina said, she travels a lot so we don't always get to see her, and when we do, she doesn't talk too much about her personal life. As for trying to convince her to go the Makai, well, I don't know how she'll take to that.she's still pretty angry at Yusuke." "Leave the persuasion up to us. Just tell us where to find her." Hiei told them. "She works at World Magazine on Spring Street. It's a huge building, hard to miss. She lives at the Sakura Blossom apartment building. It's also pretty hard to miss. However, it's late, and you two need some rest. Please, stay here tonight." Offered Yukina. Eventually, Kuwabara and Yukina managed to convince the other two demons to stay with them for the night. It was not an easy task, but they did accomplish it. Part of it was due to the fact that Hiei couldn't turn down his dear sister, and Kurama was rather tired himself. None-the-less, morning came on swift wings to all in the small, yet quaint residence. Yukina was the first up, followed then by Hiei and Kurama at the same time. They both entered the kitchen and found the pretty koorime girl working at breakfast. Kurama glanced at his friend's expression. Hiei so wanted to tell her, but couldn't bring himself to do so. However, Kurama was fairly certain that Yukina knew, if not, she at least suspected. "Do you need any help, Yukina?" Asked Kurama. The girl smiled back at him and shook her head. "No, I'm nearly finished anyway. So tell me, when are you going to go visit Keiko?" Kurama stifled a yawn. "Soon." He said frankly, leaving no room for arguments. However Yukina turned to look at him with pleading eyes. "Surely, you'll stay for breakfast though." The youko averted his eyes in favor of looking at Hiei. The fire- demon bit his lip, but nodded. "Of coarse, we will." He said in his deep voice, which didn't seem to fit his appearance. Yukina smiled prettily. "Good. Will you come back after you're done talking with her?" "No, I don't think so. Hiei and I really must get back to the Makai. We're here on borrowed time. Hopefully Keiko won't take up any more of it." Minutes later, Kuwabara entered and the four of them sat down to breakfast. Afterwards, Kuwabara left to go get ready for work, and Yukina cleared the table. Kurama and Hiei said quick good-byes and parted from the house, their destination clear. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Okay. Photos.check. Document, both hand written and typed.check. Yeah, this should do it." Keiko spoke aloud to herself, not caring whether or not people looked at her. They were all used to her daily checklist conversation between her and her occasionally forgetful mind. She picked up a few folders and piled them in her arms. Then, brushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, she left her cubicle and began walking towards her boss' office. She had to submit her story and photos before she took off on another trip, which she couldn't wait to do. She was gone more than any other writer on the staff, and because of this, she was finding office life more and more unbearable. "Hey Keiko!" Came a voice off to the left of her. She rolled her eyes as a young man ran up beside her. "What do you want, Eric?" She asked dryly. He merely smiled. "Oh you know what I want." He replied. And to this Keiko just shook her head. "No." She said. "Aw, c'mon, please?" "No." She said again, still ignoring the puppy eyes he gave her. "Well, then, did you get the flowers I sent you?" "Yes." "The necklace?" "Yes." "The ring, the painting, the chocolates?" "Yes, yes, and yes." Eric's brow wrinkled in thought. "Well, did you like them?" Keiko looked over at him and finally stopped. She faced him openly and smiled. "You know, I thought they were all lovely." He frowned. "But." Keiko took a deep breath. "But.I'm allergic to lilies, silver chain, not gold, I like sapphires, not emeralds, water colors, not abstract, I'm on a diet, and if you really want to do something nice for me, you can take these folders and give them to the boss so I can leave early.thanks!" With that she shoved the folders into his hands and walked away, leaving the poor man to do her bidding for her. Keiko got out of the building easily, as she often managed to leave work early, by pushing things off on other people. Mainly Eric, because he made it so simple. He'd been trying to convince her to go out with him from about the time she'd started working there. She kept turning him down, but he kept offering. It wasn't that he wasn't a good person, actually, she thought he was rather sweet, and sometimes she even enjoyed his company. She just couldn't start a relationship that was all. She didn't want to get hurt again. . .she didn't want to go through the suffering she endured after Yusuke. For so long after their break-up, her life just slipped away. She had even started drinking! Finally, after a good wile of wallowing in self-pity and plain simple misery, she decided it wasn't worth her life. She began a new career, deciding that she needed to start all over. Keiko Yukimura was a different woman now, and few could argue that point. She stopped at the end of the sidewalk, and waited patiently for the green to tell her she could cross. Luckily, home wasn't far from work so she didn't need a car. That was good for her because she'd hate to have to drive home in all the bustling traffic. The light turned green and Keiko crossed the street amidst a large crowd of other people. She came to her apartment only minutes later. The building was large and rather luxurious. She made a pretty good salary, and could easily afford to live in a place like the one she currently faced. She entered through the door, digging all the while in her purse for her keys. The doorman, and elderly old guy with a grandfather type of personality, smiled at her and winked his old eyes. "Afternoon Keiko." He greeted. Keiko smiled back. "Good afternoon Lee. We still on for chess when I get back?" She asked. The old man smiled again, only wider this time. He was kind of lonely, his wife having just died a few years ago. They'd never had children, but he treated Keiko like a granddaughter. "You bettcha! And this time I'm gunna beat ya." He replied. She nodded. "We'll see about that." Keiko said and then waved good-bye as she walked away towards the elevator. "Have fun in the states!" He called after her. She went in the elevator with yet another crowd of people and waited patiently till it reached the 7th floor, where she got off. Quickly, she walked down the hall to apartment 312 and sighed as she put the key in the lock. 'Home sweet home', she said to herself, and pushed the door open. She looked up then and saw two shadowed figures before her, one seated, and one standing. On pure instinct she let out a shrill scream. The sorter shadow was on her in seconds, covering her mouth with its hand. Something glinted in her eyes then and she bit down hard on the person's skin. It pulled back out of surprise, more than pain, but recovered and tried to restrain her by coming from the rear. Immediately, Keiko grabbed hold of the same hand she had bitten and yanked, flipping the surprisingly light person over her shoulder. It let out a sort of huffing sound when it hit the floor. Suddenly, the light flickered on and the motion made her head spin, and her vision blur a moment. When it cleared though, she found that the two strangers were actually two of her old friends. Hiei was lying on his back on the floor, and Kurama was standing with wide eyes next to the light switch. They all just starred at each other for a little piece of eternity before Hiei got up and faced her. Kurama came to his side and was then, all smiles. Keiko smiled back. "Sorry about that Hiei." She said, now grinning at the amusing situation. The fire-demon raised an eyebrow at her. "Hn." he said, but continued with, "Good grip." Kurama nodded. "I didn't know you could do that." He said. To this Keiko shrugged. "Had to learn sometime. So.what are you two doing here? I thought you were taking up residence in the Makai." "We are, but.well, we need to talk, Keiko." Said Kurama. 


	4. A Snag in Love Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho for umpteenth thousandth time! Is that even a number? I don't know, I was never good at math! Anyway, I don't own it . . . it belongs to its creators (the lucky bastards!), okay? Okay.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: ::Bows deeply:: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I haven't update this story in SOOOOO long, and I'm really sorry! I just had a little bit of writer's block and then I just didn't get around to it because I'm a lazy person . . . and I apologize for that too! I hope none of you were killing yourselves over my lack of updates, but if you were I . . . well I'm sorry! I really really really really am!!! I'm also sorry if this isn't formatted very well. My computer, it seems, does not like to format, uh . . . what can I say? It just doesn't. Ack!!! My computer is as lazy as I am! Anyway (*cough* I'm sorry!! *cough*) you guys can cut me down any way you see fit if it will make you feel better. I'll definitely try to update more often, although this is coming from a girl who doesn't do her homework till around 11:00 or so every night. I'll also attempt to fix the formatting problem, but once again, this is coming from a girl who couldn't figure out why the remote wasn't working and, two weeks later, found out that it was just out of batteries ^_^, . . . . . . . . . okay, so there isn't much hope for me, but I promise to try harder! Thank you for reading and please enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Oooooooooh no! No nononononononono." Keiko got up from the table and walked passed Kurama and Hiei. She went to her bedroom, followed by the two demons. Kurama sighed. "But-" He started. "No! Not doing it. It's not happening. No way in hell, and I mean that literally, am I going." Kurama tried again as he watched her throwing random items in a suitcase. "But Keiko-" "Nope, notta, can't be done, won't be done, period." "Bu-" "What's with that word? Why must you keep using that word? You sound as if you have high hopes of convincing me." "But-" "Ah! There it is again!" Kurama sighed. "Keiko.please." Finally, the young woman turned to face him, looking at him straight in the eyes. "What DON'T you understand about the word 'no'? Is it the 'n', or the 'o'? Am I not saying it correctly, or are you hard of hearing. NO! Nononononononononononono.and further more.NO!" "Keiko, we really need you to come back with us. We've explained everything to you and how crucial the situation is. Will you PLEASE come with us?" "Hm, let me think about.oh I've got it.NO!" This time Hiei let out an aggravated sigh. "Why not?" He asked in an accusing tone. Kurama was silent then as he too looked to her for the answer. Keiko, in mid-fold, sat down on her bed, leaving the shirt she had to lay crumpled in her lap. She sighed. "Listen. Don't you remember what happened between Yusuke and I? You want me to go back to him? Are you crazy? We could barely manage to keep our tempers in check at Yukina and Kuwabara's wedding! In fact, if it weren't for all of you stepping in, we probably would have ruined the entire thing! Yusuke is an irresponsible fool! He's digging his own grave, and you want me to step in and help him out? Not happening. Plus, I'm supposed to be on a plane heading to the U.S. in about three hours to do a story. I've wanted to go there for a very long time, and I just managed to convince my boss to let me. You're asking me to put my life, my career, everything on hold for Yusuke.again! I can't do it." Hiei and Kurama exchanged looks, speaking in their own special language that many years of friendship and partnership had developed for them. Kurama nodded and gently placed a hand on Keiko's shoulder. "If not for Yusuke, then for us? For all those other innocents who are trapped in a dying city. We aren't asking you to go run into his arms, but you, and only you can set him straight. If you don't find a way to pick him up, then all three worlds could fall victim to something truly horrible. Please don't let that happen." Said Kurama, his voice sounding genuine. His green eyes, with the occasional flecks of gold, pleaded with her own brown ones. When Keiko looked over to Hiei, his expression ever stoic, she saw the same look in his crimson eyes. Finally, she sighed. "Aw, God! Major guilt trip! Fine! Fine, I'll go!" She said, her eyes cast to the ceiling in defeat. Kurama and Hiei smiled at one another, both feeling rather pleased. "BUT!" Said Keiko, sending the demon's moods into nervousness. "I'm only doing this because you two asked me too. Clear?" They nodded simultaneously. "Pack lightly, Keiko." Suggested Kurama. For he'd seen the way many females, demon and human alike, tended to pack. Normally it included shoving half of their house in a dozen suitcases. They really couldn't afford to carry that much weight around. Keiko merely shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Here, call this number and cancel my flight. I'll be ready in 15." With that, she handed Kurama the number and closed her bedroom door. 15 minutes passed and Keiko's door opened. She stood there wearing a pair of baggy khakis with large pockets on the side of both legs. Under those was a pair of darker brown hiking boots. She wore a white tank top covered by a long-sleeved, blue over shirt and her hair was simply pushed behind her ears. Over her shoulder was a small, black travel bag, about the size of a semi-large purse. She smiled. "Ok, we can go now." She said, walking to the door. She threw her keys on the tabletop, deciding that she'd rather be locked out of her apartment and have to use the fire escape to climb through a window instead of risk losing her keys in the Makai. They filed out of the apartment and took the elevator down to the lobby, where Keiko said good-bye to Lee, who was sweet enough not ask question. Kurama then took the lead and they all walked toward the park. Hiei used a bit of you-ki to make a breech between the two worlds. The gleaming portal went unnoticed, as it was hidden in a grove of trees. Hiei looked over to Keiko who starred at it. She started to step toward it, but Hiei stopped her. "It'd be safer to let one of us go first, and then you can follow. That way, you'll have protection on the other side." He said. Kurama nodded. Keiko however, rolled her eyes. "You're strong, and I'm not as weak as I used to be.trust me." And with that, she flung herself through the opening, leaving two very surprised demons behind her. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Keiko landed with a 'thud' on the ground, and pulled her self up mere moments later. She was standing in the middle of a grassy meadow speckled with vibrant wild flowers. The warm Makai sun shone down on her and the swaying grasses, giving the meadow a shiny, brazen appearance. She couldn't help but smile. How could a place so lovely be so dangerous? Her question was answered as soon as it struck her mind. From out of nowhere, a demon popped up out of the tall grasses. It was brownish green with a long body and a triangular head. It resembled a warped praying mantis, and it's white, gnashing teeth showed that the omnivorous bug demon was hungry for meat. The creature came toward her at a very fast speed, although it could never rival Hiei's, or even Kuwabara's for that matter. It was just faster than normal humans. Keiko, being human and unused to dealing with demons, wanted to run. However, sense came a knocking, and she realized that running would mean death for sure. Not to mention she could defend herself now. She just had to find the right time to make a move. That chance happened when Kurama falling from the portal distracted the demon for a second. Keiko took the opportunity and ran toward the bug. With one punch to the very long abdomen, the thing fell backwards into the grass. She came up to it and smiled pleasantly, which was odd considering the situation. "Spirit Daggers!" She yelled, the call echoing around her. Suddenly, between the fingers on her right hand, appeared four purple daggers made from Reikai energy. With one very graceful swipe of her hand, the blades were sent flying forth. They landed in the youkai's long abdomen, all four straight in a row. Blood spurted from around each weapon, seeping out and running like trickling water down to the ground, where the red, life granting liquid stained the pretty grass. The creature tried to move, but couldn't. It screeched something awful as it lay there dying, and finally it stopped squirming and lay still and lifeless on it's own personal grave sight. Keiko blinked as the purple daggers disappeared, leaving behind four gaping holes. She felt dizzy then and couldn't keep from collapsing to the ground. She was breathing hard and felt exhausted. She heard two pairs of running footsteps coming towards her. Keiko glanced to her side and saw Hiei and Kurama running toward her. They were at her side quickly, helping to support her. She felt disoriented then and her head was spinning. "Keiko, are you ok?" Asked Kurama, worry evident on his face and in his voice. She just blinked at him. Hiei looked closely at her. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked. Keiko counted the fingers. "32." She said, and passed out. Kurama and Hiei looked at one another, then at Keiko, and then at the two fingers Hiei was holding up. "Hm.I think we may have to carry her the rest of the way." Said Kurama. "Yep." Agreed the fire-demon. He shook his head and stood up, followed by Kurama who came up carrying an unconscious Keiko in his arms. The red head turned into his youko aspect then, and the two companions walked away towards Gandara. 


	5. A Snag in Love Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho? No, I don't own it, but a bunch of other lucky people do! I envy them . . . shhhh . . . don't tell anyone! ^_^  
  
Author's Note: Okay people! This is chapter 5 of A Snag in Love. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and will enjoy this one as well. I guess there isn't much to say here, but um . . . more stuff to come, alright? Please review, although, I've been so irresponsible with my updates lately that I don't deserve them! However, maybe a few reviews will fix my procrastination, hm? Well, we'll hope. Cross your fingers everyone. Okay, thanks, love you all! ^_^  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Keiko awoke to the feeling of a soft bed beneath her. The blankets covered her body, giving her a warm fuzzy feeling all over. She felt as though she should go back to sleep before someone noticed that she was awake. However, she was a little late in her plan, for then entered a tall woman with purplish skin and long, gray hair. She wore a simple outfit and was holding a tray in her hands. The moment she saw Keiko with her eyes open, she rushed from the room.  
  
This action did give the young woman adequate time to think about where she was and how she had gotten here. Her head ached as she pondered and forced her mind to remember.  
  
'Oh, the demon world, that's right. Now let's see here . . . who's missing from this picture. Ah, Kurama and Hiei. Where could they be?' She thought to herself.  
  
She was about to get out of the bed, although it would have been a reluctant move, but the doors to the room opened revealing a tall demon. His eyes were closed, but that didn't, in any way, mare the strange look of serenity about his features. Also though, there was a strong sense of power, a complete contrast to the grace he used as he walked over to her bedside.  
  
Gracefully, he sat on the side of the bed and smiled at her warmly. "I see you've awakened." He said softly, and yet his voice was strong and controlled.  
  
Keiko attempted to sit up, realizing that this demon was Yomi and that she was probably in Gandara. However, she was still rather weak, and her arms gave out, leaving her to fall back against the pillow. Keiko couldn't suppress a light blush.  
  
Yomi smiled gently. "Here, let me help you." He said, and helped her up to a sitting position.  
  
Keiko blushed again, as she wasn't accustomed to this kind of treatment. However, she cleared her throat, vanquishing her bashfulness. "Thank you." She said. To this Yomi merely smiled and nodded.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Questioned the king, slightly tilting his head.  
  
Keiko shrugged. "I don't know, a little dizzy I suppose."  
  
Yomi nodded. "It is to be expected. How many horns do you see?" He asked, then, smiling.  
  
Keiko blinked. ". . . Uh, 12 horns and two you's. Wait! Is this supposed to be a trick question?" She asked, as she gazed at the horns, and Yomi's second head hat magically appeared.  
  
Yomi looked somewhat confused by her answer. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him, seeing who was there in his mind. Shura was looking thoughtfully at Keiko, who returned the gaze.  
  
"Ah, I see. No, I'm sorry. Here, let me introduce you, Ms.Yukimura, to my son, Shura."  
  
Shura bowed his head, and Keiko did the same. Then, she turned back to Yomi. "Keiko." She said, starring rather frankly at him.  
  
"What?" Asked Yomi.  
  
"I said my name is Keiko, not Ms. Yukimura. . . just plain and simply. . .Keiko." Now Yomi smiled and acquiesced.  
  
"Anyway, moving right along, where are Kurama and Hiei?" Keiko asked, suddenly feeling rather bold.  
  
"They've been notified that you are awake and will be here shortly. I'm afraid they left without an explanation. However, you should rest and regain your energy. Obviously, you haven't used your Reikai very much. I will have Ellena bring in some food for you." And with those words, both Yomi and Shura left the room.  
  
Silence filled the room once more, and Keiko began to feel small. For the bed she was sitting in was large enough, but the room was unbelievable. It was kind of an empty feeling. Most rooms have decorations or something to give it a comfortable, warm feeling, but not this room. Actually, she found it somewhat unnerving. But, this was probably what the entire castle was like. 'Yomi may be powerful, but he's really not that creative.' She thought.  
  
The doors opened again, and in walked the same female demon that she had seen before. The woman smiled as she placed the tray gently in Keiko's lap.  
  
  
  
"Hello dear. How are you feeling?" She asked kindly.  
  
Keiko smiled back. "Fine, thank you." She answered.  
  
Ellena was tall with long, gray hair that reached a little past her waist. She had had kindly facial features and elfin ears that slightly protruded from underneath her hair. Large, gleaming brown eyes clashed with her light purple skin color, although, Keiko had to admit that it was somewhat of a tasteful clash. The woman wore a loosely fitting, long sleeved shirt underneath a simple red tunic, and a black sash hung around her slim waist. White pants, somewhat identical in style to the shirt that she wore, were tucked casually into a pair of black boots that just barely reached her knees.  
  
Ellena patted her knee. "That's good to hear. Now, why don't you eat all of this up, and be sure to drink the tea as well. It's a special herbal tea that will help bring back your strength in no time. If you want to bath, you may do so right through those doors. I have a few chores to do, but rest assured, that I will be back shortly."  
  
Keiko nodded and thanked the kindly woman. Then, she set to work on eating the food she'd been given. All in all it was rather foreign looking, but tasted fine. She was not so complimentary on the tea, though. The beverage had something else in it besides simple herbs, and if she wasn't mistaken, she thought it was alcohol. None-the-less, the drink did seem to take away the haziness that had settled in her mind. When she felt a little more energetic, she managed to pull herself out of the bed. It took her a moment to get the hang of walking again, and this brought about the question that she had forgotten to ask. How long had she been sleeping for?  
  
She carried herself to the doors that had been pointed out to her earlier and entered. Keiko gasped. The bathroom was nearly half the size of the actual bedroom, and that was pretty big. Of coarse, it had an empty feeling just like the previous room. It was made up in mainly cold blues and grays. However, the tub was huge, but inviting. It was already filled with bubbly water, and all the necessary toiletries were neatly sitting on a black marble vanity.  
  
Keiko sighed as she got into the warm water. All of her muscles, which over the years had become more defined, relaxed instantly. She sighed and closed her eyes. Silence has a tendency to be an uncomfortable presence, but in the correct atmosphere, it can become quite blissful. Such was the situation for Keiko.  
  
Thoughts ran through her mind. They went quickly, and she didn't care to catch any of them. Currently, she just preferred to let them wander; let them run wild whilst she relaxed. However, one thought did not care to be so free as the others. It sat at the back of her mind, poking at her, whispering to her. Slowly it began to move forward so that the idea began forming itself, forcing her to think about it. Yes . . . this thought was always in her mind somewhere. Yusuke, he was always on her mind. No matter how she tried, she could not rid herself of his image. She could not forget the sound of his voice, or the pleasing memory of his presence.  
  
'Why, though? He was such a. . .a. . .bastard!' Now she was angry with herself. She hated him! ". . . don't I. . .?" She asked. Perhaps the walls would be kind enough to answer the question that her mind would not. Keiko groaned, and let herself sink deeper still into the water. 'Yusuke Urameshi. I've known you since kindergarten. You've always been a jerk, but. . .that was just something else that I loved about you. Why did it have to end this way? Why couldn't you just put aside your stupid ambition long enough to see what was happening to us? Why am I here right now? I don't want to see you, and I don't want to talk to you. So what if you're probably hurting yourself? I don't care, why SHOULD I care? You're not my responsibility any longer, and it's not MY job to pull you out of trouble. You never cared about. . .about my problems. You weren't there for me when I needed you. Damn you! Damn it all!'  
  
Keiko rose from the water, suddenly filled with a new frustration, and a new anger. She wrapped a towel around her body and in her hair. As she was about to get dressed, there came a knock at the door.  
  
"What!?" She called irritably.  
  
There was silence, almost like a hesitance. Keiko realized what she probably sounded like to the other person and sighed. "I mean. . .yes, who is it?" She called softly.  
  
"Dear, It's me, Ellena."  
  
Keiko sighed again, and walked to the door, opening it slightly so that they were face to face. Ellena greeted her with a smile, and Keiko politely returned the gesture.  
  
"I've brought you some clothing to wear. It would probably be safer for you if you wore clothes that were a little more suited to the Makai. Most demons find humans to be a rare delicacy, and the garments you had practically screamed ningen."  
  
"Oh, thank you. I suppose you're right. Um. . . Ellena, I'm sorry for yelling before. . . it's just that I'm a little. . ."  
  
Ellena smiled sympathetically. "Frustrated." She said simply, finishing Keiko's sentence for her. Keiko nodded. "Yes, that's right."  
  
"Don't worry dear, it happens to the best of us. Now, better get dressed. Kurama and Hiei are waiting for you." Said the elfin demon. She gave a quick wink of her eye and disappeared, pulling the door shut behind her.  
  
Keiko waited a moment to fully dry herself off and then proceeded back into the uncomfortably large bedroom. On the equally uncomfortably large bed was a pair of white pants, and a short blue kimono. On the floor right next to the outfit was a pair of simple black boots. She shrugged and put it on, finishing last with the boots. There was a full-length mirror in the bathroom, where Keiko went to inspect herself. She nodded in approval. The pants were tied loosely about her slender hips with a thin blue sash and the kimono, which only reached the middle of her thighs, was tied with a thin white one. The pants were comfortable and downy soft against skin, and they were tucked into the black boots that reached about the middle of her shins. She had to admit, she rather liked this simple ensemble.  
  
Suddenly, there came a soft knock on the large doors that divided Keiko from the rest of the castle. The girl snapped her head toward the doors in slight surprise before going to answer them. She pulled them open with surprising ease, as she had not expected such gigantic structures to be light. When left hanging ajar, they revealed two forms, one familiar, and the other familiar but not quite as the first one. It was Hiei and the beautiful Youko Kurama.  
  
Keiko stepped politely to the side, offering her friends entrance. They both did what was expected and stepped over the threshold.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Asked the silver fox, his golden eyes flashing.  
  
Keiko blinked. Youko Kurama had something different about him. His presense was rather intimidating. However, he still had many traits common to the Kurama that she knew. His eyes were emotionless, filled with secrets and a little sadness, although, not as much as when he was in his human form. His voice held compassion, but his features remained the same, not necessarily cold, but not warm either. Those traits were something that his human and his youko form shared apparently.  
  
Keiko smiled. "I'm fine now." She said, placing her observations to the side.  
  
The youko raised his eyebrows at her sudden peppiness. "Is that so? Well, you still look a little tired. Are you sure you don't want to sleep some more?" He asked.  
  
"Oh Kurama, you worry to much. I'm fine, really. Anyway, we're on a time limit from what I understand. I don't want to be here for any longer than I have to be. And keep in mind that I'm only here because you guys sent me on a major guilt trip, WHICH, I will be getting you back for sometime in the near future, is that clear, or do I need to use more adjectives?"  
  
Kurama smirked. Keiko had indeed changed. "Yes, I think we've got it." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd been hanging around Hiei to long.  
  
"How long have you been using your reiki, Keiko?" Came the sudden, baritone voice of Hiei. The fire demon was standing next to Kurama, his posture perfectly imitating that of his friends.  
  
"Oh, about four and a half weeks now. I guess it was a little too early to be using so much of it against a demon, but it was a necessary risk."  
  
"You've been training then?"  
  
Keiko fidgeted at the questioning Hiei was doing. It was a little embarrassing to admit that a mere human had been training at the martial arts for a few years. She was nothing compared to Hiei and Kurama, or even Kuwabara. She was a beginner, but she was making progress.  
  
"Um . . .yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean I had to learn SOME stuff. When Yusuke left I didn't have anyone to come to my rescue every time a couple of thugs decided to take a shot at me. Kuwabara has a family now, and it wouldn't be fair to ask him to take on the responsibility of protecting me 24/7. Also, with my travels and work and what not . . . I guess, it was just something that I needed to learn." Hiei nodded in approval. Keiko had always been just some person. Yusuke's woman, to him. She was either in the way, or not on his mind at all. However, with the recent events and her obvious change in character, he was beginning to feel like she was her own person, someone he could consider a possible friend, and ally. Anyway, he couldn't associate her existence with Yusuke anymore, could he?  
  
"I think you should keep it up." He said simply.  
  
Keiko blinked in surprise. That was good thing that Hiei just said right? Wasn't it good that Hiei spoke anyway? She smiled. "Uh . . . I guess I'll be doing that." She said. She didn't imagine that her reply sounded intelligent, but hey, it was all she could think of!  
  
"Hiei is correct, but don't try to use your reiki again. Your body is inexperienced and could not take stress so soon after recovery." Said Kurama, offering his share of advice.  
  
Suddenly Keiko felt like a little girl whose parents were explaining to her why she shouldn't have put her finger in the electrical outlet in the first place, gotten shocked, and then done it again just to see if the same thing would happen. However, she nodded, knowing that her friends were correct, and that trying her powers again or putting her finger in the electrical outlet probably wouldn't end happily.  
  
"Well this is all well and good, but when do we leave?" Asked Keiko, deciding on a quick change of subject.  
  
Kurama's downy silver ears pricked up ever so slightly, and he smiled slyly at her. "I thought you said you didn't want to see Yusuke again." He said.  
  
Keiko blushed, and tried to hide it in vain. "I DON'T want to see that stupid bastard again . . . ever again and I mean it from the bottom of my soul, but . . ."  
  
"But what?"  
  
She frowned at Kurama's remark. "BUT, I'd like to get this whole thing over with so I can go home and continue on with my life as planned! I'll thank you to please remember that Yusuke and I are through, have been through, and will remain through for the remainder of our lives, which is a hell of a lot longer for Yusuke than it is for me! So there!" Keiko turned her back to them and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. She bit her lip. That stupid blush was hotter on her face than it had been before! 


	6. A Snag in Love Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Me: (Places hand on Bible) I do solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me.  
  
Lawyer: Now tell the court what you told me.  
  
Me: I own . . . er DO NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho, and I promise to continue . . . er STOP stalking the characters, there are you happy now!?  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Hey everybody! So guess what! I figured out how to fix the formatting problem on my computer! YAY for me! Um . . . like I said, I'm trying to update more, and so far I've gotten some really nice reviews on the newly posted chapters of this fic. Of coarse, if you really dislike this fic, I don't at all mind flames either. Anyway, PLEASE review! I'd appreciate it, really, really, I would. So thank you for reading up to this point, and if you fancy, continue on. So, here's Chapter 6. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
"You know, this place is freakishly swampy." Commented Keiko as she lifted a mud covered boot out of a particularly, deep and sloshy puddle. She wrinkled her nose at the oozing, gray liquid that dripped from her poor abused shoe.  
  
"The Makai is made up of an astounding variety of temperate zones, and habitats. In this way it corresponds to the large demonic population that covers these lands."  
  
Keiko rolled her eyes at Kurama's all to logical answer. "I guess that makes sense."  
  
"Come on, we have to keep moving if we want to get out of this swamp before night fall. This is no place that you will want to be after dark." Said Hiei. A quick blur of silver and a few of the trees and odd vegetation that had been in their way fell to the ground. Swords were handy . . . no wonder Hiei kept one around all the time.  
  
Keiko sighed and smacked her neck. She could feel mosquitoes buzzing around her . . . or at least she thought they were mosquitoes. If they weren't then the annoying life forms were the ningen equivalent of them. 'Damn bugs are probably deadly . . .'  
  
(Flash Back)  
  
"You mean you're leaving right away? Surely not!" Cried Ellena. The small party of three demons and one human looked up from their discussion.  
  
"Well yes. We're on a time limit, and the sooner they get going the better." Reasoned Yomi. He had a soft spot for the kindly woman. Besides Yoda, Ellena had been working for him from the very beginning. She was like the mother that he never had. At times her constant intervention would get on his nerves, but he could never bring himself to be angry with her. Everything she said and did was for his, and Shura's well being.  
  
"That's nonsense! The poor girl is still recovering, and you want to take her into the Makai wilds? I would think that you would be a little more compassionate, Yomi . . . after all that I've taught you, too!" The elfin woman crossed her arms and eyed the horned demon harshly.  
  
Keiko had to suppress a laugh, for under that harsh, motherly glare, Yomi actually ducked his head slightly! However, they did need to get moving '. . . not because I'm anxious to see Yusuke . . . but because I want to get this whole thing over and done with!' She told herself, and then set about mentally glaring at the piece of her conscious that disagreed with her.  
  
"Listen, Ellena. I promise I'll be all right. Kurama and Hiei will be with me, and only foolish creatures mess with these two. Anyway, I'm feeling much better!" Keiko said, doing her best to reassure the kindly woman. Ellena now turned an unconvinced gaze on Keiko who also found herself shrinking back.  
  
"Honest, I feel fine!" She said, but stepped behind Kurama, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Keiko just smiled at him.  
  
"Hm . . . I suppose the youko and the jaganashi will offer some protection, but if I find out that anything happened to you, both of them . . ." And she glanced at Yomi too. " . . . and Yomi, are going to feel a hand on their backsides, is that clear?"  
  
Keiko giggled as Kurama's and Hiei's eyes widened considerably, and Yomi, if she wasn't mistaken, blushed. She imagined Kurama had never been spanked as a child. She just couldn't picture Shiori ever doing that, and as for Hiei well, that was a subject probably not worth thinking about.  
  
Another thought hit her then. Was this journey really all that dangerous? Sure, she was in the Makai, but she had Kurama and Hiei. So what was Ellena so worried about? Well, if that whole ordeal with that unidentified band of youkai held any precedence, then she supposed that was something. Could they really be stronger than Hiei or Kurama? She seriously hoped not. Maybe if she were lucky enough to come back alive from this thing, then she could come back and see Ellena and Yomi again. She'd grown fond of them both. Although she'd heard some horror stories about Gandara's king, she hadn't had any reason to fear him thus far. As for Ellena, well she was a sweat heart. She reminded her of . . . of her own mother, before she had gotten sick, and then passed away all those years ago.  
  
She sighed, but then her mood brightened as an idea popped into her mind. She reached for the black bag she had slung over her shoulder and undid the flap. She pulled out her beloved camera, and grinned. "Okay everybody! Photo-up!"  
  
(End Flash Back)  
  
Keiko grinned. That would be a great picture when she got the film developed! Although, none of them had been very . . . keen to the idea, she thought that the camera loved them all. Especially Kurama, but that wasn't necessarily surprising. She was a little jealous of him anyway. As soon as they got out of this god-forsaken swamp she would take some pictures of the Makai plains. She imagined they were quite lovely. The Makai was so vibrant, and untouched, although it was much older than the human world. The Ningenkai was more than a little scarred from all those years of pollution and human intervention. She could see why Yusuke had been so attached to this place. Keiko grimaced . . . even if she was in the middle of a goopy swamp.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Psst! Nissa, over here!"  
  
"What is it, Kane?"  
  
"Sh, keep your voice down! I've got some bad news."  
  
"Well what is it? I don't have all night to stand around here, you know!"  
  
"Korey, Kix, and Netria left."  
  
"What!? They left? When?"  
  
"This morning, before sunrise."  
  
"And you're just NOW telling me this?"  
  
"I couldn't get back here till just a few minutes ago. You know how the city is."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Damn! Those traitors! I knew they'd skip out eventually. Who do we have left?"  
  
"Just you, me, Cimmy, Timerie, Dimitre, and Tain."  
  
"You gotta be shittin' me! That's it?"  
  
"Yep. How is he?"  
  
"I dunno. The doors were locked again today."  
  
"Really? That's three days in a row now."  
  
"Not to mention the those five days a few months ago."  
  
"Has he eaten?"  
  
"How should I know? I haven't been able to get him, stupid!"  
  
"Don't take out your frustrations on me!"  
  
"Don't tell me what to do, Kane. Listen, we just have to keep trying. With any luck, things will go back to the way they were a few years ago. We owe him so much. He was there for us when we needed help, so we're going to be there when he needs it."  
  
"I know. Well listen. The sky is grayer than usual out there, and that might alter perception a bit, so I think I'm gunna head down to the gates and see how Dimitre and Tain are doing, alright?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you at meal time. Later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Keiko sighed as she leaned against the surprisingly smooth walls of the cave that she, Hiei, and Kurama were camping in for the evening. They had safely made it through that dreadful swamp, and found a comfy little cave a few miles away from it. Kurama had gone out hunting for dinner while Hiei stayed in the cave and started a toasty fire. She had actually found herself talking to the jaganashi, and she could swear that he had been listening too. Once in a while he'd even respond to her verbally. She had smiled deciding that it was all in a days work for Keiko Yukimura, the best journalist and photographer in the Makai. However, there probably weren't that many journalists or photographers IN the Makai, so she wasn't quite sure where that title put her.  
  
Kurama came back shortly afterwards, and the trio supped. The meat was quite good, but she hadn't eaten much of it. She had not been hungry then, and she still wasn't.  
  
"Are you alright, Keiko?" Came a sudden voice, soft, and collected.  
  
Keiko looked up, startled, from where she had been gazing. "Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine . . . just tired I guess." She replied. Her voice was just two steps shy of being a whisper.  
  
The silver youko smiled kindly, the golden color of his eyes seemed to be waltzing with the dancing orange blaze of the crackling fire. "Good night." He said. He knew that the girl probably needed some time to think everything over. It was because of this fact that Kurama stood up and walked to the back of the cave where Hiei had already fallen asleep. He was tired as well, and thought that he might perhaps join the slumbering fire- youkai.  
  
Keiko watched as the thick, velvety darkness that dwelled constantly in the back of the cave swallowed up his proud form. She sighed and turned her attention, once more, to the blazing fire. Those flames seemed so simple, so sure. They had so many responsibilities, so many jobs to fulfill. They had to warm the cold, cook the meals, and follow the orders of both the wicked and the pure. All of these things they did so confidently. Why wasn't life that simple for her?  
  
'I envy you.' She thought.  
  
Suddenly, in those flames a picture began to form. At first it was hazy, but then became clear. Those chocolate brown eyes, and dark, slicked back hair. That tan skin, and serious expression. Yes, that was Yusuke's face she saw in that fire.  
  
Keiko gasped, and closed her eyes, gently shaking her head from side to side. She was seeing Yusuke images in the fire. That couldn't be a good sign.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, the fire was back to normal, but Keiko did not trust it any longer. Instead she altered her gaze, and began to stare out of the mouth of the cave. She could see the Makai prairie grass swaying in the breeze, somehow reminding her of an ocean. The normally golden grasses were silhouetted black against the navy blue sky. There seemed to be so many more stars in the Makai than back home. They were brighter too. They looked happier, as if they were laughing and playing in the heavens above her. Their father, the silver moon smiled down upon them, upon her. She could make out his face, gray and yet grandfatherly. His eyes had seen so many things, hadn't they? Perhaps he and his children knew something that she didn't.  
  
As if on cue, the stars seemed to move right before her eyes, and suddenly, she wasn't looking at frolicking diamonds, but the beautifully outlined face and features of a smiling Yusuke Urameshi.  
  
Keiko sighed. Now even the stars were turning against her. She quickly turned her head and looked down at the moist, cave floor. Perhaps sleep was a good idea after all. She got up slowly, and walked quietly to the back of the cave. The fire offered dim light and so she could make out the bodies of her friends. She chose to bed down right in the middle of them, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and in need of protection. She had been more tired than she had thought and so sleep claimed her quicker than she had anticipated.  
  
However, her actions had not gone unnoticed by the two demons on either side of her. Many years of living and surviving in the Makai had made them light sleepers, as they had to constantly be on guard. And so ruby eyes meant golden ones, and both pairs looked down on the girl between them. Kurama smiled at his companion and Hiei winked, a rare thing to be seen by anyone other than the fox, and they too allowed sleep to claim them. 


	7. A Snag in Love Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, such a sad, sad prospect, I know, but life goes on . . . or does it . . . ??? (^_^)  
  
Author's Note: First off, I'd like to thank all of my readers. You guys are wonderful. The reviews I've received for this story have been the nicest, and I am forever grateful to each and every one of you. I'd also like to apologize. In this chapter, not much happens. Its just sort of . . . THERE I guess. However, I promise that the next chapter will be more involved. Um . . . keep those reviews comin' please. Good, bad, whatever, I just like hearing from you guys. So, all that said, move onward worthy reader. After all, you didn't come here to read my long and involved author's note now did ya? Enjoy!  
Chapter: 7  
Keiko stifled a yawn as she tromped through the waist tall prairie grass. She was an early riser, but this was an ungodly hour to be awake! The morning sky was indigo with soft brushstrokes of red and orange all mixed together. The golden sun was just peeking above the edge of the range of misty mountains off in the distance. All in all it looked like an angel had painted the beautiful picture into the sky, which gave her an idea. How often do you get to have photos of a Makai sky? Quickly, she took out her camera and jogged ahead of her two companions.  
  
"What are you doing?" Asked Hiei. He had been leading them, and Kurama brought up the rear. They had insisted that she stay in the middle of them so as to avoid any danger. Keiko smiled back at him and motioned to her camera. The jaganashi rolled his eyes, but watched as she adjusted her position several times before finally taking a few pictures. After she was done she put the camera back in its little black bag and grinned.  
  
"These pictures are going to be wonderful!" She exclaimed.  
  
Hiei just shook his head and continued walking, while Kurama began a conversation, asking her about her job and her travels. In turn she questioned him, and so it went. The sun rose higher in the sky, the climate grew warmer and the morning mists that covered the land like a thin sheet disappeared.  
  
Keiko began to ask the two demons questions about Makai; it's history, and politics. Those kinds of subjects were things that she enjoyed knowing. Hiei took part in the conversation too, although not as readily as Kurama, but that was to be expected. Keiko was becoming strangely fond of this world, as she found that it excited and scared her all at the same time. Over the years she'd grown to enjoy adventures, taking risks and what not, though she would never be as careless or flamboyant about it as Yusuke had been.  
  
Keiko groaned mentally. There was that same stupid thought. Yusuke this and Yusuke that. Couldn't that annoying voice just let it all go? What was so hard about that? She frowned, an action that did not go unnoticed by Kurama. He tilted his head to the side, his silver hair falling over his right shoulder like a silky curtain. His eyes studied her, seemed to be calculating her expression. After a moment his ears pricked, and his eyes widened slightly and then went back to normal. He smiled.  
  
"Thinking about someone special?" He asked a little to coincidentally.  
  
Keiko glared at him. "Don't start, Kurama. I really don't want to talk about it right now."  
  
Kurama shrugged. A few seconds passed in silence. "What about now?" Came the question.  
  
Keiko rolled her eyes, but did not speak. Perhaps if she ignored him, he would just go away.  
  
"Now?"  
  
No such luck.  
  
"What about now, hm? C'mon, now? . . . now? . . . now? . . . how 'bout now?" Coaxed the fox.  
  
Keiko threw up her arms in frustration. "Kurama! I DON'T want to talk about Yusuke, all right? Is that so difficult to comprehend?!" She yelled, her voice echoing all over the land. Keiko looked around, stunned at her outburst.  
  
Kurama merely smiled. "Keiko, you NEED to talk about Yusuke. It's unhealthy to keep so many feelings inside, ya know."  
For once, Keiko saw some feeling in those eyes, although, it was only for a brief, fleeting moment. Nevertheless it made her feel kind of good inside.  
  
"Thank you for caring, but I'll be okay, I promise." She told him softly.  
  
Suddenly, Hiei appeared next to them. His usual expression of . . . well . . . nothing, was replaced by a look of a total seriousness.  
  
"Kurama, trouble." He said simply.  
  
The youko narrowed his eyes. "What is it?" He asked.  
  
The fire-youkai's expression darkened. "One of Yomi's messengers meant me up ahead. They've received word that there are unidentified youkai beginning to surround Yusuke's territory. The details were vague, but it sounds as though they're getting into some sort of formation. Perhaps it would be better if I went on ahead . . . "  
  
"No, Hiei." Said Kurama, cutting his friend off. "That would not be wise. We have no way of knowing how many of the enemies are stationed there, and we have no idea of their strategy or plans. We can't act without the proper information."  
  
Hiei sighed, and nodded. "And the only way to get that information is to . . ." He glanced at Keiko. "Is to get to Yusuke."  
  
Keiko began chewing on her lower lip, a strange habit she had required a few years ago.  
  
"We need to move quicker." Stated Kurama absently.  
  
Keiko winced. Were it not for her, then Kurama and Hiei would already have been there. She was slowing them up greatly. She cursed her humanity. It was an unfortunate handicap at the present time. She sighed in frustration.  
"You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up to you." She offered.  
  
Kurama and Hiei looked at one another, their eyes speaking instead of their voices. Hiei raised one of his eyebrows, and an amused smile twitched at the corners of his lips.  
  
"Keiko," He began. "If we were to leave you here and go on ahead, that would defeat the whole purpose of your being here."  
  
Kurama chuckled very softly, and gave her a rather matter of factly stare. Keiko blushed. She seemed be doing that more and more lately. Hiei's statement had embarrassed her, but the fact that the fire youkai had actually used her name so casually greatly surprised her.  
  
"Well . . . ah, I . . . ok, I can't pretend that there was some sense to what I said earlier, but I AM holding you two up." She replied, her natural flare returning.  
  
Once again, Kurama and Hiei exchanged a silent conversation, or rather they started too.  
  
"And would you guys knock it off!?" Keiko glared at the startled demons, which were oblivious to why she was suddenly so angry. "You're always having these little eye contact conversations! It's just as rude as whispering to each other when someone is standing in the same room!"  
  
They blinked in unison. "Um . . . we're sorry, force of habit, I suppose." Said Kurama.  
  
Keiko still glared. "Well drop the habit!" She yelled. Both Kurama and Hiei sweat dropped. Silence ensued, Keiko glaring, and the fox and the fire- demon making a mutual decision to communicate using telepathy from that point on. Finally, after a good two or three minutes, Hiei cleared his throat.  
  
"Perhaps we should get back to the task at hand." He said, and Kurama readily agreed. 


	8. A Snag in Love Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Me + Owning + Yu Yu Hakusho = . . . I WISH!!!!! But I don't! ^_^  
  
Author's Note: Here's Chapter 8. I don't have much to say here except read and please enjoy. Thank you.  
  
  
  
Chapter: 8  
  
Hiei landed soundlessly on the branch of a large, gnarled looking tree. Sharp, red eyes caught a glimpse of silver beneath him. Kurama was in his kitsune form, as it allowed him to move faster. They were close. The landscape was beginning to look familiar. Normally he'd be able to pick up Yusuke's ki signature, but alas, he felt nothing now. This revelation worried him greatly. For the jaganashi would never admit it, but the former Tantai was his friend, and although Hiei had the tendency to be a rather emotionless killer, that didn't mean he was heartless. He was, if not anything else, fiercely loyal to those who he considered to be friends.  
  
Perhaps if he used his jagan he'd be able to sense something . . . but the jagan omitted tons of energy, and if any of those enemy youkai caught wind of their presence it could mean trouble. No, the risk was too great. He supposed that he'd just have to wait till they were actually inside the city.  
  
"Just what makes that little old ant, think he'll move that rubber tree plant? Anyone knows an ant can't move a rubber tree plant, but he's got hiiigh hopes, he's got hiiigh ho-umph!" Keiko's singing was cut off as she landed on the ground with a painful thump. She glared up in annoyance at the smirking fire youkai above her.  
  
"What, you didn't like my singing Hiei?" She asked playfully. Hiei raised an eyebrow and jumped down next to her.  
  
"You've been singing the same song for the past hour and a half." He said dryly.  
  
Keiko shrugged. "It's a good song." She said in her own defense. Hiei just snorted and looked away disdainfully. Keiko frowned. Well SHE thought it was good anyway. It was just that she had nothing better to do while being carried on Hiei's back across the Makai. That had been the solution to their earlier predicament. Kurama would take on his kitsune form, and Hiei would carry her on his back. Traveling at such a speed, Keiko was disappointed to find that she wasn't given the opportunity to take any more pictures. Oh well though. At least she knew Hiei was beginning to warm up to her, and that was good. She'd always liked the temperamental demon, but you only befriended Hiei if he wanted your friendship, and up to this point, the only real contact she'd had with him was when he had tried to kill her all those years ago. So if A plus B equaled C, then Keiko was quite sure that the fire demon had never really paid that much attention to her. However, he seemed to be okay with her now. She smiled to herself.  
  
'All I had to do was break up with Yusuke, learn to fight, develop some Reikai, and sing High Hopes while being carried on his back to get Hiei to like me. Heh, go figure.' She thought.  
  
Suddenly, a minute rustling caught their attention. They both looked toward a particularly green bushy plant, and out walked a small silver fox, it's six glossy tails laid out neatly behind it. It's ears twitched and its glimmering golden eyes were hypnotizing if one were to stare into them to long.  
  
Gracefully, and proudly, it trotted up to them, and then sat right in front of them. It lifted a dainty paw to its mouth, licked the fur, and then winked at them. Keiko couldn't help but grin.  
  
"Aww, you're so cute, Kurama!" She exclaimed, and reached over to scratch behind the little fox's ears. Kurama seemed to be grinning at them. Hiei merely rolled his eyes.  
  
"Vain kitsune." He mumbled, but smiled fondly at the creature.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Down!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said get down!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Look!"  
  
"What the hell are those things, Dim?"  
  
"Don't know, but would you get down now?"  
  
"I'm down, I'm down. Why are they here?"  
  
"Good question. All I know is that they're powerful. We can't fight 'em."  
  
"Not even if you, me, Kane, and the girls try to take them on?"  
  
"No, it'd be futile. There are too many of them anyway. If only . . . if only Yusuke were . . . better."  
  
"I know I know, but wishing isn't going to help anything . . . damn those things are gross looking! I've never seen demons like those before! You?"  
  
"No. Hey, wait Tain, where did Kane run off too? He was here about an hour ago."  
  
"The city."  
  
"I see. Well, I hope he comes back soon. We may have to fight if they start trying to storm the castle."  
  
"Yeah . . . ya know, sometimes I wonder why I even bother to get up in the morning."  
  
"Shut-up, Tain."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What are THOSE things? They look disgusting!" Whispered Keiko. Currently she was lying on her stomach under a large crop of undergrowth enshrouded with a whole bunch of overgrowth. If she moved her arms even slightly, then they would meet with patches of angry, and quite relentless little thorns. She could see fairly well out of the natural opening in the undergrowth, but her legs were cramped up and falling asleep. She let out a quiet sigh. This trip just kept getting better and better!  
  
Hiei was off to her right, although, he didn't seem to be having a problem with his position. After all, he'd probably done this kind of thing several times in the past. As for Kurama, well, he'd gone scouting ahead. His kitsune form did not give off a large ki signature, and what it did could be easily disguised. His small, limber form was perfect for sneaking around without being noticed, although his gleaming fur had been a concern, Kurama had solved that problem by rolling around in the dirt a little bit. He seemed like a very playful creature in his true form, much like any of Kuwabara's kittens.  
  
Keiko smiled. She loved animals! Maybe when all of this was over, and she went home, she'd get a cat. She needed the companionship sometimes, and a furry feline would be just the pet to travel with. Not to independent on her, relaxed, able to care for itself for the most part. Yep, she'd have to do that.  
  
Just then, Kurama crept up. He made a motion with one of his for-paws, basically telling them that they needed to back up, and go deeper into the forest. Keiko nodded stiffly, and slowly, oh so carefully, pulled herself from the wall of dangerous vegetation. Her hair caught on a few branches, and tore at her clothing a bit, but she managed to keep her skin from being pierced.  
  
Once out, they followed the fox back into the woods. Keiko found it rather fascinating that with all of the dried up leaves and sticks, and things on the forest floor, neither Hiei, nor Kurama made a sound. It was as if they were walking on cotton. As for herself, well, she was making quite a ruckus even though she was trying to step as lightly as possible.  
  
Hiei stopped, and Keiko took the cue to stop as well. Kurama transformed before them and was clad then in his youko skin. Oddly enough, he wasn't covered in dirt like his kitsune form had been. Keiko sighed. There were a lot of things she didn't think she'd ever understand. However, the time to ponder such things would have to come at a later hour.  
  
"What does it look like?" Asked Hiei.  
  
Kurama shook his head. "Those things are loosely surrounding the perimeter of the walls that frame the city. I've never seen demons of this kind before, Hiei. What do you suppose they are?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
Keiko shivered. Those THINGS resembled slimy amphibious creatures covered in oozy patches of dark brown fur, and sharp fangs protruded from their huge, lipless mouths. They were absolutely revolting to the eyes, and even harder on the stomach.  
  
"You said that they are loosely surrounding the perimeter, right? So what's the problem? Can't we just sort of . . . go in?" She asked.  
  
Kurama nodded. "It looks that way, Keiko, but it's too strange. If they are planning a hostile take over of some sort, and the city is their base, then why wouldn't they be protecting it? It doesn't make sense." He replied.  
  
Hiei put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "It could be a trap." He said simply. Obviously, that was what they were all thinking.  
  
Keiko shifted her position a little; her legs were just beginning to gain back their feeling as blood once again began to circulate.  
  
"So . . . what do we do?" A simple question, really it was. However, such a question lacked an answer, and so, it's simplicity lost, it became something of a frustrating puzzle; one that required a few moments of silence to come up with an answer.  
  
"We'll have to take that risk, that's all there is to it I'm afraid." Kurama said quietly. Hiei nodded in agreement, his hand tightening around his beloved sword.  
  
Keiko, however, was not so happy about it. "But it could be dangerous!"  
  
Kurama nodded. "Yes, it could."  
  
"We could get killed!"  
  
This time Hiei acquiesced. "We most definitely could."  
  
Keiko frowned. "What if we're caught? We could be tortured!"  
  
Kurama blinked, and seemed like he was thinking about it, then he nodded in agreement. "Yep, there's a pretty good chance of it."  
  
"Aren't you guys worried?" Keiko finally, asked, giving up.  
  
Hiei shrugged. "You can't go into a battle expecting to win, but you can go in expecting to die, or get injured, or something along those lines. You either learn to accept it, or you die anyway."  
  
  
  
"Yes, it is the way of things." Added Kurama.  
  
The human girl slumped her shoulders. It was the WRONG way of things. All of the worst case scenarios could easily happen, and it hadn't come to mind yet to think of what could happen if they were successful in getting in. Imagine being killed by such despicable beasts! Keiko wasn't fond of the idea at all. And then, she wouldn't even get to see Yusuke!  
  
'Bad Keiko, bad Keiko, BAD!' She scolded herself mentally for thinking about seeing Yusuke. 'You DON'T want to see him, so stop THINKING about him!' Another little voice cut in.  
  
(You do so want to see him.) It said.  
  
'No, I don't!'  
  
(Yes you do!)  
  
'No I don't!'  
  
(Do too!)  
  
'Do not!'  
  
(Do too!)  
  
'Listen, this is MY head that we're fighting in, and I say that I don't want to see him, okay? Now shoo! I have way more important things to worry about than your smart ass mouth!' Keiko said. The voice subsided then, and Keiko smiled proudly.  
  
"I guess we have to do it your way then." She said, turning her attention back to Kurama and Hiei. They nodded, and began forming a plan. Keiko knew better than to interrupt, after all it wasn't her place. She'd just do what they told her to do when they told her to do it, and that would be that. If they died, so be it, at least she'd get to see Botan again. After the separation, Keiko hadn't seen much of the bubbly young woman, and she and Botan had been good friends. However, if they survived then they'd have to see Yusuke, and that meant . . . well . . .seeing Yusuke. After seven long years of NOT thinking about him, she'd see him, be able to touch him, and feel his presence hovering all around her, making her feel safe, protected, and warm. That feeling, she'd missed it, she really had. Suddenly, she felt a familiar sort of pricking behind her eyes, as tears threatened to start flowing. She shook her head lightly. No, not after the horrible amount of time it took her to stop crying over him, she couldn't start again. Maybe if she did . . . then she wouldn't be able to stop . . .  
  
"Keiko."  
  
She snapped her head up in the direction of the voice. It was Kurama. He and Hiei looked like they were ready.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked softly.  
  
"You'll ride with Hiei again."  
  
She nodded. "Alright."  
  
Kurama seemed to pick up on her lack of enthusiasm, but there was no time to confront the problem, he'd have to do it later. Instead, he briefed her on their plan. It was really very simple. He would go down first, use a few of his lovely plants to quickly get rid of the few youkai near and at the gates. With any luck, they wouldn't draw any attention to themselves, giving them enough time to slip past the gates, which had been left hanging open, and into the city. With Hiei's speed they'd be able to slip through the city without detection, and Kurama would take on his kitsune form. That was it . . .unless something went terribly wrong, which was always a possibility, but it couldn't be helped anyway, so there was no sense in worrying about it.  
  
"Do you understand?" Asked Kurama when he was finished. Keiko nodded, and at the same time, climbed onto Hiei's back. She wouldn't slow him down at all, for to Hiei, Keiko was unbelievably light, almost as if he weren't carrying anything at all. The only reminder he had that she was even there was the painfully tight grip that her hands held on his upper torso. Her fingernails were anything but brittle, as they had done a fair job in digging into his flesh the last time.  
  
Hiei watched from his perch on a tree as Kurama put his part of the plan into action. All over the desired area, deadly plants grew and disposed of those gross creatures soundlessly, then either died, or retreated back into the soil that they had derived from. The process was short and precise. Such was Kurama's usual way of fighting. On the fox's signal, Hiei leapt from the tree branch and moved quickly to the wooden gate that was open somewhat. The gate appeared heavy enough, and looked as though it had been forced open, if the torn up grass (which was dead and or dying anyway) was any clue to the path of which it had slid open.  
  
Kurama motioned for them to enter, and they wasted no time in doing so. However, Hiei took two unsuspecting steps, so he was just passed the gate and inside when he stopped, due to the sudden presence of the long, sharp looking blade of a glaive being held at his neck. Hiei did not wince as a small, insignificant line of dark, crimson red blood ran down his pale skin.  
  
"Who are you?" Asked the owner of the offending glaive.  
  
Hiei's red eyes watched the other youkai impassively. Without any hesitation he took a careful step backward, and allowed Keiko to climb off of his back. He took his own sweat time all the while. This seemed to anger the unidentified demon. In fact, he snarled.  
  
"Answer the question trespasser!" Ordered the demon, his icy blue eyes narrowing.  
  
Hiei watched the blue-eyed demon, studying him, but saying nothing. Keiko stood back a little further, more than a little unsure about the outcome of this encounter.  
  
"Fine, if you won't answer, then you will die!" Cried the nameless demon. He pulled the glaive back, and then swiped it forward in a vain attempt to decapitate Hiei, who ducked under the blade, and supposedly, disappeared. When the weapon hit nothing, the youkai's eyes widened. Suddenly, he felt his legs give out from beneath him, and he hit the ground, his weapon falling out of his hands, but landing in Hiei's. His blue eyes glared up into crimson eyes, and he gulped against the blade at his throat.  
  
"So kill me, you heartless bastard." He spat.  
  
Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Ch! I can't lower my standards just to kill and annoying, weakling such as you." Hiei pulled the glaive away and tossed it behind him. It landed with a cling on the stone ground. "Besides, I don't do requests." He added, and started to walk away.  
  
Keiko watched after him. She was inclined to follow, but something enabled her from moving. Perhaps it was that poor, stunned, young youkai still lying on the gray ground. Slowly, she approached him. He looked up sharply, but his features relaxed when he caught the expression of kindness on her pretty face. Keiko knelt down beside him.  
  
"Are you hurt?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.  
  
He blinked at her first, and then shook his head gently.  
  
"Good, here let me help you up." She offered a slender hand to him, and he hesitantly took it. He thought that this girl was actually quite strong.  
  
"My name is Keiko Yukimura, what's yours?" Keiko asked. She smiled when she noticed his not so discreet hesitation. However, he nodded his head stiffly.  
  
"Dimitre." He answered in a somewhat deep tone of voice, although it did not rival Hiei's.  
  
"It's a pleasure, perhaps you can help us."  
  
Both girl and guy gasped as they noticed, for the first time, a tall, magnificent silver youko standing proudly behind them. Dimitre, as he was called, got into a fighting stance, but the youko only chuckled, and Keiko giggled.  
  
"Spirited kid, Keiko." Said the fox.  
  
"I guess, but don't scare me like that, Kurama! I'm liable to have a heart attack, ya know?" Replied Keiko playfully. Poor Dimitre was very confused. He scowled.  
  
"Maybe you guys should tell me who you are, and what you're doing here." He said. Both Keiko and Kurama turned their attention back to the young youkai. 


	9. A Snag in Love Chapter 9

Disclaimer: You can keep reading this if you really want to, but I really don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! I promise! This disclaimer is never going to say that Amethyst Tiger owns the show, seriously it won't. However, if you need the extra reassurance, I suppose I can keep putting these up, and you can keep reading them . . . but if you ask me it's a waste of time . . . ^_^, (Don't worry though, I need to remind myself of that every now and then too! Shhhh . . . don't tell anyone!)  
  
Author's Note: I still don't have anything of great importance to tell you guys. So, onward readers, and please enjoy. Thank you for your time!  
  
  
  
Chapter: 9  
  
"I see, so you work for Yomi, do you?" Asked Dimitre.  
  
A dangerous glint shimmered in Kurama's golden eyes. "We DO NOT work for Yomi. He supplied us with information that is all. Yusuke is a valued friend, and HE is the only reason that we are here." Spat Kurama.  
  
Hiei gently shook his head. The fox still held quite a grudge against Yomi, and he couldn't say that he blamed Kurama. When Keiko was out for that period of time, the horned king had made a daring attempt to get Kurama alone, and almost succeeded had it not been for Hiei's timely intervention. After that little incident they had decided to wander around the city rather than stay in the castle. Kurama hated to admit it, but the encounter had shaken him up a bit. He'd been more than happy to depart once Keiko woke up.  
  
Hiei shook his head. Sometimes, he was very glad that Kurama didn't like to talk about his past very often. The fire youkai had a suspicious feeling that the story would be long, and involved, and probably mention more youkai than even Kurama himself could remember the names of. The ones that they'd encountered thus far had been far from pleasing, which made Hiei think that at one time the fox had had VERY bad taste . . . of coarse, it was possible that many of those youkai had not been friends or long term companions, and most likely personality had been one of the last thing on Kurama's list. It was hard for him to imagine what Youko Kurama used to be like; for all Hiei had ever known of him was the kind, intelligent, and sometimes crazy kitsune. The first thing to view him as an ally, as a friend. The first one to have ever put his trust in him, and to have disregarded that entire 'cursed forbidden child' name that the koorimes had so nicely bestowed upon him.  
  
Hiei winced at the painful memory of his past. He decided to stop that particular thought process, thinking it wiser not to open old wounds. Instead, he diverted his attention back to the conversation, which had made some leeway since the time he had stopped listening.  
  
"So you guys are old team mates of Yusuke's and you are his old fiancé. I see. Well, to tell you the truth, I'm ready to try anything. I haven't seen him in over a month, but then, I spend most of my time guarding the gates. I've done alright, but then, I've never come up against anyone as strong as Hiei or Kurama." Said Dimitre.  
  
He was a handsome young lad, and looked as human as any ningen, save for those icy blue eyes that greatly resembled Touya's. He was slender, and yet well built with a normal skin tone (not light, not dark, but somewhere in the middle), and accented, high cheekbones. His hair was slick looking, and black as the night. It was held back into a thin ponytail that reached about the small of his back. His black kimono extended down, just above his knees, and the sleeves had been torn off at the shoulders. He wore the ningen equivalent of black, fingerless gloves that went up to the middle of his arm, and he wore baggy black trouser that were tucked into knee high black boots. He was much like Hiei in the sense that he didn't seem to smile, talked only when he deemed it necessary to, and probably lacked the world's best sense of humor. He struck both Kurama and Keiko as kind of an arrogant fellow.  
  
"So, do you think you can help us?" Asked Keiko.  
  
Dimitre turned his icy gaze on her, and she shivered involuntarily. "I don't think I can be of much use to your cause, but my friends can." He said, piercing gaze still on her.  
  
"Your friends? Where are they?"  
  
"Well, Tain is around here somewhere, the girls, Cimmy, Timerie, and Nissa, are all up at the castle."  
  
Keiko suddenly became more enthused. "The castle. That's where Yusuke is?" She asked.  
  
Kurama glanced at her, and then at Hiei, who glanced at him. With Keiko distracted they could eye contact talk without getting in trouble. Both of them wondered though what had happened to make the Makai's two most feared demons scared of getting in to trouble with a human girl? Were it any other girl it would be considered pitiful, but Keiko wasn't like other girls so they decided that they had some justification there, and that boosted their dignity a little more.  
  
"Yes, at least, last I heard." Answered Dimitre, pushing a rogue strand of black hair back behind his ear.  
  
"Well, so can you take us there?" She asked.  
  
The young demon thought about it for a moment, but then shook his head. "We'd have to go through the city, and I wouldn't be your best guide. If you want to get to the castle, we'll have to find Kane, he knows the city like the back of his hand."  
  
Keiko sighed. "So how do we kind Kane?"  
  
"Find Tain."  
  
"Well then, how do we find Tain?"  
  
Dimitre glanced around their surroundings before putting two fingers to his mouth and sending out a shrill whistle that echoed through out the misty gray area. He was quiet then, and folded his arms across his chest. Keiko blinked.  
  
"Um . . . so what now?" She asked.  
  
Dimitre glanced over at her and then back to whatever he found so interesting on the ground. "Now we wait. It won't be long."  
  
Another few minutes passed. They all sat in silence. There were still many unanswered questions, but no one was in the mood to talk necessarily. After all, Yusuke was so close! Why did they have to wait for a guide? Hiei was fast enough to avoid any danger, or at least that's how it felt. It was safer to have guide, but the three companions were more than a little anxious. Keiko was beginning to get nervous. What did they want from her? What could she say to her ex-fiancé after seven years? God, she just wanted to go home. She couldn't believe that she missed a flight to the U.S. just to end up on a shitty ass mission like this!  
  
"You called?" Came a foreign voice.  
  
Keiko looked up rather surprised, and found a young man standing in front of her. He had short, sandy blonde hair with long bangs that hung in his face, although, they did so rather tastefully. He wore simple dark brown pants with brown boots and a loose fitting, lighter brown shirt with wide sleeves that went over his hands so that they only revealed his fingertips. He had a somewhat tan complexion, and bright sea green eyes that seemed to sparkle like sun kissed water. He smiled easily at them all.  
  
"Took you long enough." Said Dimitre with a scowl. Then he turned addressed Keiko, Hiei, and Kurama. "This is Tain."  
  
The one called Tain stepped forward and took Keiko's hand into his own, and kissed it, Keiko blushed, and Tain winked.  
  
"What's your name?" He asked, standing back to his full height.  
  
"Ah . . . Keiko." She answered, the blush still present. Tain nodded.  
  
"It's a pleasure, and who are you two?" He asked turning his attention toward the silver youko and the fire youkai.  
  
"I'm Kurama, and this is Hiei." Said the youko, knowing very well that his friend would probably not answer.  
  
Tain's bright eyes widened. "Y- you guys are . . . seriously? I mean . . . you- you're . . ." He sputtered.  
  
Dimitre scowled and gave his friend a good smack in the back of the head. Tain stumbled forward a bit, and then glared up at the darkly clad demon next to him.  
  
"Baka! Spit it out, we don't have time for your stuttering!"  
  
Tain shook his head from side to side. "Hiei and Kurama? As in the infamous thief Youko Kurama and the merciless assassin Hiei?"  
  
Kurama and Hiei exchanged glances. Kurama shrugged.  
  
"Um . . . sure." He answered, although he and Hiei had been out of that type of business for quite some time. Their reputations still roamed around the Makai though, and that was, if anything, a benefit. It kept bothersome youkai away at least.  
  
Keiko smiled. She liked Tain. He was a sweet heart, as well as a charmer. When the look of uneasiness spread across his fine features, Keiko felt bad for him.  
  
"Oh, don't mind them. They've been out of that business for a while now. As long as you aren't evil they're as sweet as pussy cats, and Kurama is twice as soft." She said.  
  
  
  
Kurama's cool expression faltered. Keiko winked at him, and Hiei snickered. For this he received a glare from the youko. Tain's care free expression returned upon seeing the trio's antics.  
  
"So, what can we do ya for?" He asked happily.  
  
Keiko smiled. "We need to get to the castle."  
  
The green-eyed youkai scratched the back of his head. "Um, well you'll need Kane for that, didn't Dim to tell you?"  
  
Keiko nodded. "That's why . . ." and she looked at Dimitre who was standing off to the side. She grinned mischievously. " . . . Dim . . . called you."  
  
The dark haired demon looked up abruptly, and then down. Keiko swore she saw a blush. This guy was almost as fun to tease as Hiei was! Tain giggled.  
  
"Give me just a minute." Said Tain.  
  
His sea green eyes began to glow, and suddenly his entire body was covered in that light, then he disappeared completely.  
  
Keiko's eyes went wide. "Ah, where . . . did he go?" She asked, pointing to the spot where he once stood.  
  
"Hn. Water sprite." Came Hiei's reply.  
  
Keiko looked at him with questioning eyes.  
  
"It appears Tain is a sort of water demon. Rather gitty creatures that live underneath, in, or near bodies of water. Most of the time they are friendly, but one should always be cautious, as they have a tendency to be very tricky should they want something from you."  
  
Dimitre cut in immediately after Hiei's explanation.  
  
"Tain isn't like that." He said defensively. Hiei eyed him dully. "Tain isn't like that at all. He's a water sprite, yes, but he was banned from his clan because he wasn't like them, because he was different. He didn't appreciate their rules, or the way that they used others to achieve their own selfish goals. Tain believes in honor, and he believes that loyalty, trustworthiness, and work are the ways to obtain one's goals. He's always willing to help if it's for a good cause, but he never asks anything in return." Continued the icy eyed demon.  
  
Keiko smiled. Dimitre was the type who stood up for his friends, and she admired that.  
  
"I see. He's very lucky to have a friend like you around." She said. Dimitre looked away and gently shook his head. "No, I'm lucky." He whispered. Tain was his best friend, always had been. He had been the first one to have ever shown him any sort of compassion or sympathy. Dimitre had been cast out of his own clan as a child as well, and so when they meant up, Tain held a great amount of empathy for him. At first, he'd been reluctant to associate with the water sprite, but Tain had been persistent, and soon they had developed a friendship. As time went on they met up with Kane and Nissa, twins who had escaped from slavery, and then Timerie, a lone wanderer, followed by Cimmy, a rogue elfin demon. They had all banded together, and formed a tight knot of friendship, and kinship as well.  
  
"How'd he do that?" Asked Keiko then.  
  
Dimitre looked up from his trance like state. "Do what?"  
  
"You know. Get all luminescent and then disappear."  
  
"Oh, that's just one of his powers. All water sprites can do it. Basically, they control the element of water, and can dematerialize into it, so long as there is another body of water that they can rematerialize into."  
  
Keiko let her eyes scan the area. She could make out the tall, shadowy frames of random structures. Probably buildings, but the mist impaired her eyes sight rather effectively. What she could see was gray, barren, and tired looking. It reminded her of dying leaves. The entire place seemed like it could dry up and blow away. She couldn't imagine there being a body of water anywhere.  
  
"Are there large bodies around here?" She asked, still scanning the area.  
  
Dimitre shook his head. "Used to be, but not so much anymore." He answered sadly.  
  
"I see. Then, how do you expect him to find a place to rematerialize?" Now she looked over her shoulder at him.  
  
"He doesn't require large quantities. It could be a puddle, a well, anything with even the slightest bit of water."  
  
"Wow, that's pretty handy." Keiko replied rather absent-mindedly.  
  
"He's back." Said Kurama suddenly.  
  
"What?" Keiko asked, but did not have time for clarification, as the glowing figure reappeared in front of them all.  
  
Abruptly, the glow disappeared revealing the ever-smiling Tain.  
  
"Find him?" asked Dimitre.  
  
Tain gave a slight nod of his head. "Yup, he said he'd be here in few."  
  
"Is he far off?"  
  
"Nah, not really."  
  
"Good."  
  
Dimitre turned toward Kurama, Hiei, and Keiko.  
  
"Just remember. The city is dangerous, so keep your guard up." He said rather matter of factly.  
  
"Thank you for your concern, but I don't believe we'll have to much to worry about." Replied Kurama.  
  
Suddenly, his silver ears pricked up, and twitched, his tail swished back and forth, almost in a nervous action.  
  
"Someone is here." He said. 


	10. A Snag in Love Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. I know, isn't fate cruel???  
Author's Note: Okay people. This here is Chapter 10. I apologize for not having updated for a while, but I haven't had much time lately because of this singing contest thing that my friends and I entered. I've been practicing in my free time, so wish us luck with that, will you? Believe me, we'll need it! ^_^, Anyway though, that is WAY off subject. I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed, and read this story. I greatly appreciate it. Now, enough of my gibberish . . . please read this and enjoy.  
Chapter: 10  
"It's just me Dim." Said a soft, alto voice.  
  
Everyone looked toward a small group of slumbering trees. They could make out a shadow walking gracefully out of the mist. As the figure drew closer they could better make out his features. He had tanned skin, much like Tain's only a shade darker. His expression was very relaxed, and calm, reminding them all of Kurama. He had elfin ears, and short, curly, brunette hair with shiny streaks of crimson woven in rather randomly. Simple, black pants that resembled Hiei's and a similar black shirt with baggy long sleeves were worn tastefully under a navy blue, sleeveless Chinese style shirt. Around his slender waist was a black sash whose ends hung down at his side, and on his feet were a pair of black boots. He was slender looking, yet discreetly muscular, like Hiei. But perhaps the most stunning aspect of him was his vivid indigo eyes and the two small horns on the top front of his head. They were not very visible, as all of those curly locks of hair surrounded them like the nest that protects the baby birds.  
  
"Sorry to pull you away like this, were you doing anything important?" Asked Dimitre.  
  
The new comer shook his head. "No, just gathering supplies or rather, what's left of them."  
  
The icy eyed demon sighed. "So I take it that we're finally running out."  
  
"Yes. We were lucky the city was in such good shape before . . . well before all of this started."  
  
Dimitre was about to reply, but closed his mouth once Keiko cleared her throat, grabbing the two demon's attention. He nodded toward her.  
  
"Kane, this is Keiko Yukimura. The youko is Kurama, and the fire youkai is called Hiei. All of you, this is Kane."  
  
Kane bowed his head in greeting to them all. "Is it you three that I am to guide through?" He asked softly. Kurama nodded. "Yes." He said simply.  
  
The horned demon acquiesced, and turned to his two friends.  
  
"Tain, Dim, are you coming?" He asked gently.  
  
Tain nodded. "Yeah, no use stayin' around here. Those things are still wandering around, but they aren't bothering anything . . . save for my stomach. Anyway, I think I'd be of better use in the kitchen." He replied.  
  
Dim rolled his eyes. "Please. You just want to be in there because Timerie is there."  
  
Tain grinned and winked one of his bright sea green eyes. "And the food, don't forget the food!"  
  
Kane chuckled. "But surely you remember what happened last time, don't you?"  
  
This time Dimitre let out a laugh. "How could any of us forget? Tain couldn't walk right for about a week."  
  
This time both demons laughed together. Tain just looked dryly at them and waited impatiently for them to finish, mumbling under his breath about how it hadn't been funny to him.  
  
"I hate to break this up, but we don't have the time to wait around." Hiei's voice silenced them all.  
  
"I agree. If we could, we need to continue on. As it is we have already wasted valuable amounts of time here." Agreed Kurama.  
  
"You're right. Dim, are you coming as well?" Asked Kane. Dimitre nodded. Very well then. Follow me." He said, turned his back to them, and began walking.  
  
"Keiko, you should stay somewhere in the middle." Kurama said.  
  
Keiko rolled her eyes. "Yes mother." She said sarcastically. Kurama shrugged, and they all followed after Kane.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Keiko could barely see through the thick, white mist. What she could see was gray and desolate. They had since entered the city, and it was deathly quiet. Not even the wind graced them with its presence, although she considered that to be a positive thing seeing as how she was still convinced that the slightest breeze would just blow the entire city away.  
  
She felt rather clumsy, as she was the only one whose footsteps made sound on the ground, which was covered with debris. What had happened to make this place so very . . . messy? Yes, she supposed that was the correct word. The city seemed neglected, and abandoned. Where were all of the inhabitants? Surely there had been a large population at one point, other wise, what would explain the buildings? The buildings were another thing. They greatly resembled the ones on Earth. Had Yusuke rebuilt the entire thing? If that were the case then it would greatly surprise her. But then, Yomi had done it, so why not Yusuke too? When it came to academics, he may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer, but that didn't mean he was an idiot. Actually, he was a kind, compassionate, handsome, loyal, trustworthy, determined young man.  
  
Keiko blinked. 'Good job Keiko. You just completely contradicted yourself! Remember, we hate Yusuke because he IS NOT all of those things.' She told herself.  
  
(But he is handsome.) Came that same annoying little voice.  
  
'Well, yes I-oh not you again!'  
  
(Hey, I'm not the one who can't keep my mind off of him.)  
  
Keiko scowled. 'You're the REASON I can't keep my mind off of him. If you'd just go away, and leave me alone, everything would be okay!'  
  
(Sure it would.)  
  
'It would.'  
  
(Would not)  
  
'Would too!'  
  
(Not.)  
  
'Too!'  
  
(Not.)  
  
'Too!'  
  
(Not.)  
  
'Too!'  
  
(Too!)  
  
'It would not and that's final!' Keiko yelled mentally. Suddenly she realized what had just happened.  
  
(You know, it's pretty sad when you can be tricked using child's play by your own subconscious.) Said the little voice lazily.  
  
'Shut-up, and don't talk to me anymore.' Said Keiko dryly, suddenly feeling very defeated and pathetic.  
  
"Are you alright, Keiko?" Asked a voice from behind her.  
  
Somehow or other, Tain had showed up behind her. She couldn't figure out why he didn't just dematerialize up to the castle, but she supposed he had his own reasons.  
  
"I'm fine." She whispered.  
  
"You're quite sure? You've been looking rather . . . I don't know, confused I guess." He said.  
  
"Thank you, but I'm okay, really."  
  
He nodded, and silence fell around the group once more.  
  
Keiko's mind wandered. So far, this city was deserted, or so it seemed. She couldn't understand the dangers that everyone kept mentioning. Really, if she and Hiei and Kurama were traveling the same way they had been before, then they would already be there by now!  
  
Suddenly, Keiko felt the ground sink beneath her, crumble, crack, and then break, the dirt and debris caving in, and bringing her with. She heard her name being yelled by Kurama and Hiei, but that was all as she hit the ground, and darkness enveloped her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The light sound of dripping water was the first sound that she heard. Keiko opened her eyes slowly, which didn't help much considering that everything was pitch black around her. Her head was pounding as she remembered what had happened. Well, she wasn't sure exactly what happened. Only that she had fallen, and that it hurt. How long had she been unconscious? Not long hopefully. Where were the guys? Close, with any luck.  
  
Carefully, she began to pick herself up off of the ground. She got on to her hands and knees, and dust and debris tumbled off of her. She coughed. Where ever this was it smelled putrid, and moldy. Nonetheless, she got up on to her feet and, out of habit, brushed off her clothing.  
  
"Hello! Kurama? Hiei?" She called, her voice echoing. There was no answer, which didn't necessarily surprise her.  
  
"Anybody?" She called, simply because she wasn't sure what else to do. Suddenly, she saw a faint stream of light coming from her side. She looked over and saw a huge mound of dirt and other garbage. At the top was a large hole.  
  
Quickly putting 2 and 2 together, Keiko realized that she must have fallen and rolled over to the side of this tunnel. The debris had to have fallen in afterwards. Either way it blocked her exit. She sighed. For the 100th time she was beginning to wonder how Kurama had ever convinced her to come to the Makai. She should have been in a comfy cozy hotel, watching television and ordering room service. Immediately, she regretted thinking about food. Her stomach began to grumble.  
  
"Quiet you. We're on a diet anyway." She told her stomach aloud. For this, her stomach seemed only to growl louder at her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Damn it! Keiko!" Called Kurama for what seemed to be the thousandth time. No answer.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Hiei asked, facing Kane and the others with scorn.  
  
Kane bowed his head slightly. "She fell into an underground cavern. They're all over the city. Keiko seemed to have stepped on a weak spot." He explained calmly.  
  
Red eyes bore into him. "How do we find her, and get her out?" He asked. His deep baritone voice was unnervingly steady. Much like the calm before a raging storm, and it seemed as though the 'storm' that Hiei could create would be one to avoid at all costs.  
  
"I . . . don't know for certain, as whatever is underground is a mystery. Those caverns have only formed recently." Replied the indigo-eyed demon.  
  
Hiei's hand went to the hilt of his beloved sword, those fiery red eyes blazing.  
  
"I suggest you figure a way out." He hissed, in a tone both low and menacing. This tone and his action caused Kane, and Tain to take an involuntary step backwards, as the atmosphere around them was rapidly changing from chilly to humid, and warm. A little longer, and they'd all be crispy critters, save for Hiei anyway.  
  
"Hiei, wait." It was Kurama who spoke, placing a gentle soothing hand on the fire youkai's shoulder. Miraculously, the air went back to its cool temperature almost immediately. Hiei glanced up at the solemn face of his best friend, and removed his hand from his sword, sighing.  
  
"Very well. What CAN we do then . . . Kane?" Asked the red-eyed one.  
  
Kane's mouth fell open at how quickly that mood swing had occurred. Seeing the dissatisfied look on Hiei' face, however, quickly brought him back to his senses.  
  
"I'm afraid not much. We can remove the earth from that hole, and start there." He suggested.  
  
"That'll take hours." Argued Hiei.  
  
"No, that won't be a problem . . . that is, if Dim is willing to help."  
  
All attention was turned toward the arrogant looking demon standing a little further off from the group. He just nodded, an acceptance to the spoken proposal.  
  
"Very well then. Everyone step back in order to avoid any . . . flying debris."  
  
The order was followed. All except for Dimitre, who in fact walked closer, stepped backwards. He was now standing at the edge of the large hole, and suddenly, his aura, icy blue like his eyes, began to flare around him. His right arm lifted up and went outward as if trying to touch the dirt, which began to shift and quake. Then, his arm lifted up, vertical towards the gray sky, and at this moment, clumps of dirt and debris began lifting up, levitating in the air, landing then in any given area. Rapidly, the hole began to look deeper and deeper.  
  
Golden, and ruby eyes went wide, but sea green and indigo just looked onward, used to such displays of power by their friend.  
  
"Dim has power over the element of earth. It comes in handy from time to time, as you can imagine." Offered Tain, not bothering to turn his attention toward Kurama or Hiei. Although, one could easily guess that such a question was on the demon pair's tongues.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'If it wasn't so dark in here . . . then maybe I could . . . find a way out or something. God, this place reeks! Why didn't I bring a flashlight? Wait!'  
  
Keiko felt around the ground frantically until her hands fell upon an object resting on the ground. She picked it up and felt around for the flap, then pulled it open. With great care, she pulled out her camera. She knew it like she knew her reflection, and she prayed that it hadn't been hurt in the fall. She fingered all of its intricate pieces, sliding gently along the smooth plastic. Everything seemed to be in proper working order, but she couldn't tell for certain, as she was far to dependant on her eyes, as most humans tend to be.  
  
Quickly, and efficiently enough, Keiko managed to find the 'flash' button, and pressed it. Then raising her camera in front of her, she took a picture, the flash bulb lighting up the corridor, although, only briefly.  
  
She grinned, and hugged the camera to her chest.  
  
"Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you! People who say that being married to your work is a bad thing are absolutely insane!" She told it.  
  
Then, she set about her plan, which was merely pushing the button that would allow her to take a photograph with the flash on. Every time the flash went off, Keiko managed to catch glimpses of brown, dirt walls, and obviously, a dirt floor. The earth surrounding her was moist, and musty smelling, however, that particular scent she happened to find rather enjoyable because of its natural essence. Such is why she found it particularly curious that she didn't enjoy the smell that lingered in the air around her, and as she walked (which she had done merely because no one could hear her, and obviously there was no other way out from where she was) the disgusting odor became stronger, until she found herself holding her breath so as to keep from gagging.  
  
Silence was her companion, well, that and the constant clicking of her camera which had run out of film, but certainly not out of flash. Keiko frowned.  
  
'Damn! I don't know how many pictures I just wasted on this stupid place . . .' She thought, but then stopped in her tracks, finger in mid-push.  
  
' . . . light?'  
  
Indeed, she saw small slivers of bluish light peeking 'round a shadowed corner. Slowly, she lowered her camera, and placed it expertly back in its bag. She gathered her courage and peeked around the corner, which just happened to be the first that she had encountered thus far.  
  
She found her eyes starring straight into a sort of stone chamber, and in the middle of it was what resembled a stone well. She could hear the vague, echoes of water coming from somewhere; she thought possibly the well like object.  
  
Keiko gathered a little bit more courage from what she liked to call her 'nerve stash', and took a few, steps closer to the chamber. She thanked the deity that was watching over her for the dirt ground, which muffled her footsteps, and prayed that her snooping wouldn't result in severe emotional trauma.  
  
She pressed a hand over her mouth and nose, as that terrible smell was so strong that her eyes were watering, and she found it even more difficult to breath. Her boots made a light ticking sound against the stone floor, and made her cringe, for she had not been aware when the dirt had given away to the cold blue stone floor. She waited, ears attentive for any sound. Nothing, utter silence, it appeared, was still her solitary companion.  
  
Grabbing a little more courage from her rapidly depleting supply, Keiko tiptoed over towards the well, which she found to be covered by a large slab of rock. She frowned. The rest of the room was barren, and so, it appeared that she had endured this walk and all of its complications for no apparent reason. She narrowed her brown eyes and gave a quick kick to the side of the well, but then let out a little cry of pain as the stone she had just hit fell atop her foot, obviously taking vengeance for the frivolous attack.  
  
After the surprise and pain had all but ceased, she took it upon herself to squat down and examine the black void where the stone had once stood. The silt and clay that pasted the stones together was beginning to crumble around the perimeter. She squinted, trying to zero in her sight on a specific spot, and then began to tug gently at the stone that had been the fallen one's neighbor. Slowly, it began to budge, and she pulled harder. In response it began to slide out slowly at first, and then rapidly until finally it popped out, the unexpected release sending Keiko backward on to the floor. She took a brief moment to recover, but then went back to examining the well. Something about it drew her. It was like a power, or a strange aura, and that putrid smell just got worse as she pulled stones from their places, and stacked them neatly on the ground.  
  
The larger the hole grew, the more light entered the well, and she began to see glimpses of shadows. She could not make out the shadows, but did wonder where this strange blue light was coming from. There were no other openings in this huge, stony dome, so how could light be filtering in?  
  
Such a question bewildered her, but did not distract her from her voluntary labor. Indeed, she continued to disassemble the side of the well, all of her fear diminished, curiosity taking its place. She worked on for quite some time, although one could never guess exactly how long. Her mind wandered through several different thoughts, and she couldn't concentrate on one for very long, for another one of equal importance would push through, demanding her immediate attention. However, she did manage to evade that annoying little voice that always showed up with thoughts of Yusuke, which she also kept at bay.  
  
So wrapped up in these thoughts was she, that when the creaking sound of a rope bounced off of the walls of the dome, and the inners of the well, which was quite narrow, she let out a gasp of surprise and fear. Although, once she put a name to the sound, she was at ease once more.  
  
She decided that she had to get to that rope, although, she wasn't sure why it was suddenly so very important to her. The only problem was the huge stone slab that was lying indolently atop the well. She frowned at it.  
  
"Oh don't mock me. You're coming down." She told it, as if it could hear her.  
  
Keiko then began pulling out more bricks at the very top of the well. As she did so, the slab lost its support and began to wobble. Keiko smiled, and positioned herself so that her shoulder was just underneath the large rock, and then she began pushing up, and over. At first it resisted, but Keiko pressed on.  
  
"Come . . . on now . . ." She said, while heaving. "You can't stay up here . . . for. . .ever!"  
  
The rock slid a bit more.  
  
"You think you're . . . so . . . tough, don't . . . you? Well, I have . . . news for . . . you. You really aren't! After all, you know what they say . . . the bigger you are . . ."  
  
And she gave it one final shove. The slab fell to the floor with a crash, pieces breaking off and skipping away to far ends of the chamber.  
  
"The harder you fall." Keiko finished, admiring her work.  
  
She wiped her chalky hands on her pants and let out a sigh.  
  
"That makes up for all of the weight lifting I've missed since I agreed to come here." She said bitterly.  
  
A few more minutes were devoted to taunting the defeated stone foe, before she finally decided to examine what she had worked so hard for. Light filtered in to the now open, and half disassembled well at an angle as Keiko put her hands on the well's edge, and leaned over, gazing in to the semi- darkness. There was something there, actually quite a lot of 'somethings'. She squinted, and leaned over a little further. Slowly, the unidentified became clear. Her eyes widened in horror, and she backed up slowly, until her back came into contact with the wall.  
  
"Oh my . . . God no . . ." She whispered, and hugged herself. Silence once again, her only companion, only this time it mocked her. 


	11. A Snag in Love Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Darth Vader: Luke, you do not own Yu Yu Hakusho . . .  
Me: Well HE may not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do!  
Darth Vader: Amethyst Tiger, you do not own Yu Yu Hakusho . . .  
  
Me: ^_^ eheh . . . um . . . (Shoves Darth Vader in a random closet) Okay, I may not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I write about it a lot, and that counts for something, right? Oh yeah . . . I also don't own Star Wars, but I thought Darth Vader should make an appearance in one of these things. I mean, why not? Right? Right! Onward!  
Author's Note: So, here is Chapter 11. It's not very long, but I felt like posting, don't ask me why. So here you go my friends, thanks for reading and enjoy!  
  
P.S. Keep those reviews coming! ^_~  
Chapter: 11  
"You're quite certain that she is in this direction?" Questioned Tain.  
  
Kurama nodded positively. "Her scent is leading me this way." He replied.  
  
Tain sighed, and fell back with his two friends. Hiei, he noticed was walking along side Kurama. They'd all been walking along this corridor for hours, and he was beginning to get restless. Not that he didn't care about Keiko, and her well being, it was just that he was . . . bored. It was in his blood to be a little wild from time to time. He just couldn't help it.  
  
"Light." Came a soft voice. It was Kurama. The fox had stopped in his tracks, and was starring at a few streams of bluish light peeking around a corner.  
  
"I don't sense any danger, Kurama." Said Hiei, but never the less, placed his hand on the hilt of his beloved weapon.  
  
That's when they all heard it, a muffled, choking sound, like crying. They stepped around the corner and were greeted first with the sight of the disassembled well, followed then by Keiko, crumpled up against the stone wall, hand covering her mouth, cheeks stained with tears.  
  
Kurama and Hiei wasted no time in running to their friend's aid. They were followed by the other three demons. Kurama knelt down next to Keiko, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him through glassy eyes brimmed with glimmering tears that had not yet fallen.  
  
"Keiko, what's . . ." But he let his sentence trail off as she pointed a shaky finger towards the well. He glanced at it, and nodded towards it, telling Hiei to go check it out.  
  
The fire youkai nodded and walked over to it. He noticed the stones stacked up neatly on the ground. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Keiko's doing, as very few males would take the time to STACK the stones. An amused smile tugged at his lips, but disappeared as his eyes took in the gruesome sight that they found within the wells confounds. A thick metal bar was lodged into either side of the stone, and from there hung a thick rope stained dark brown with blood. Hanging from the rope were bodies . . . terribly mutilated bodies. Limbs hung by shredded muscles, and eyes dangled from their sockets. Many of them had huge, gaping holes where their faces should have been, and were missing vital organs, which was fairly easy to see because of the not so discreet lack of entire torsos. Flesh, moist from the water below and cool climate, peeled off of yellowish bones like old, thin paint, the blood, having drained out of them long ago, left the skin a strange off white color.  
  
"Ah, that's . . . disgusting!"  
  
Hiei tore himself away from the sight and cast his eyes over at Tain, who had just taken a glimpse, and now had his back turned to it. He saw Dimitre. The icy eyed demon just starred at the mangled corpses in disgust. Kane shook his head gently from side to side.  
  
"Kurama, you'd better come take a look at this." Hiei said, not looking at the youko.  
  
Kurama hesitated, but Keiko gave him the 'ok' to go ahead, and he did. He rose gracefully and walked over to the well. Golden eyes scanned the gruesome scene, but did not lose their usual calm, emotionless expression.  
  
"What do you make of it?" questioned the fire youkai.  
  
"Indeed. Surely something like this wouldn't have been done for nothing." Offered Tain, still refusing to look.  
  
Kurama squinted and bent down further, inspecting the poor excuses for bodies.  
  
"This may look like a simple job, but actually, the way these bodies were mutilated, the parts that they are missing, and the way they are strung up would actually suggest quite a precise method. This was a sort of sacrifice." Replied Kurama.  
  
Now Kane looked closer as well, and nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yes, I believe you are correct. However, this sort of sacrifice is particularly cruel, yes?"  
  
Kurama looked at the horned youkai, suddenly finding himself fond of him. He nodded.  
  
"Yes. Most sacrifices involve tons of blood, but here, it would seem, there was another motive. It seems as if the blood from these bodies was purposely drained away. Very curious indeed."  
  
"In that case, perhaps it wasn't a sacrifice." Offered Kane.  
  
Kurama eyed him. This demon's intelligence, and unique observations matched his own. A very reliable source of information indeed.  
  
"Care to elaborate on that?" Asked the fox slyly.  
  
Kane nodded, a few curly locks bouncing down in front of his eyes. He brushed them away out of habit.  
  
"A ritual of a sorts. One that does not necessarily involve sacrificing to ones self or a higher power, but a sacrifice in order to bring about a change. One that does not necessarily honor a being, but calls upon a power to altar one." He said, eyes still examining the sickly sight below them.  
  
Kurama smiled. His thoughts exactly. This kid was sharp, despite his young age.  
  
"You guys are acting like this is the most fascinating thing in the Makai. This isn't an autopsy you know. It's going to be dark soon, and we need to get going. Leave the dead to their peace." Cut in Tain, still refusing to look.  
  
Kurama and Kane looked at him and then at one another, their eyes twinkling with amusement. The sprite was very childish, which reminded Kurama of the teenage ningen boys going through puberty back when he was still Suuichi. Because of the fox spirit within, he had been lucky enough not to have to travel that particular path toward adulthood. From what he saw, heard, and read of it, it was a very obnoxious time in a boy's life. The very idea sickened him. However, on a lighter note, Tain also reminded him of Yusuke, and that thought lightened his mood.  
  
"He is right. We need to get moving." Dimitre's serious voice sliced through the air, bringing about an atmospheric seriousness. All facial expressions turned grim as Hiei turned to look at Keiko, who was standing up, but still hugging herself.  
  
"Are you going to be alright?" He asked, trying to hide any concern from his tone of voice.  
  
Keiko nodded. "Yes, but so much for avoiding emotional trauma." She replied bitterly.  
  
They all gave her an odd look, but she shrugged it off. "Never mind. May we please go now? This place is . . . I don't like it in here." She said, her eyes shifting from left to right as if expecting some hidden foe to jump out and attack them.  
  
Keiko walked passed the group of five male demons, exit bound. She did not stop to wait for any of them, assuming that they would follow, and they did. In a single file line, they walked, not needing any sort of light, as she had already memorized the corridor, and her companions were perfectly able to see in the dark, if not with their eyes, then surely with their senses.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Nissa. Hey Nissa!" Came a voice.  
  
A slender girl with long brunette hair adorned with crimson red streaks, turned toward the voice. Her bright indigo eyes glinted as she faced her friend. Her features were striking, as she was quite lovely, and yet, there was sternness about her, as well as a certain amount of stubbornness for sure. This was Nissa, twin sister to Kane, and like her brother she had elfin ears, as well as two small horns protruding from her head, but well hidden by her curly hair.  
  
"Keep your voice down! There is absolutely no need to shout. You'd think that these halls didn't echo at all, honestly." Replied Nissa, a delicate looking had being placed upon her right hip.  
  
"Sorry." Replied the other female.  
  
Nissa rolled her eyes, and let out a sigh.  
  
"Yes, yes, you're ALWAYS sorry. Now what is it that you want?" She asked impatiently.  
  
"I was curious. How is he?"  
  
Nissa's hand dropped from her hip, and all of her previous scorn disappeared. Her eyes seemed to dull a bit, perhaps from sorrow, or even fatigue.  
  
"There hasn't been a change. I'm not sure if he's even ALIVE anymore." She replied.  
  
"Don't say that. Things are going to be okay again . . . they have to be . . . they will be."  
  
Indigo eyes looked toward a pair of huge doors rather dejectedly.  
  
"You'd better be right." Nissa replied. 


	12. A Snag in Love Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Reporter: Mr. President! Mr. President! Is it true that Amethyst Tiger does not own Yu Yu Hakusho?  
  
President: Yes, it is. She will no longer be making those claims and she has promised to stop stalking the Yu Yu Hakusho cast. Isn't that right? (Looks over at me in a straight jacket)  
  
Me: Yes Sir Mr. President, Sir!  
Author's Note: Okay, here is Chapter 12. This story is coming to a close here, so don't be surprised if these next chapters start bringing you to a close. Well, onward worthy readers. Thanks!  
Chapter: 12  
"So why aren't there any people here?" Keiko asked. Her question was directed toward Kane.  
  
The horned youkai's eyes darkened, and he let out a sigh.  
  
"This place used to be quite lovely. It was nearly as advanced as Gandara, but not so much that the technology stole away from the cities natural beauty. Demons of various types lived here, and worked here. Many were just passing through. Although there were a few more problems involving crime and such than in Yomi's city, mainly because our Lord was not as obsessed with militarizing. Actually, he embraced much of the havoc that occurred here. He truly loved to fight. It was such a genuine love, and when he fought it didn't seem so terrible . . . in fact, he made it, in some way, rather beautiful. Of coarse, most skilled fighters who have a passion for that particular art have the ability to make combat seem like a dance, a waltz if you will."  
  
Keiko crossed her arms over her chest, and cast her eyes toward the ground.  
  
"Yeah, and then 'waltzing' is all they learn to care about." She mumbled.  
  
Kane glanced at her, but disregarded the comment in favor of continuing his story.  
  
"That is what this place was like when I, and my five companions came here. We were really just looking for a place to stay for a while and rest, however, we did not wish to go into Yomi's territory, as we had heard tell tale that he was somewhat of a . . ." Kane's voice trailed off, as his mind tried to come up with a word to describe the horned kind.  
  
"Hard ass." Came a bitter voice.  
  
Kane raised his eyebrows when he looked back at Kurama who had a rather disgruntled expression about his face. Keiko giggled, and Hiei smirked. Tain covered his mouth trying to muffle an amused grin, while Dimitre remained with a stoic look on his handsome face. Kane shrugged.  
  
"Yes, for lack of a better word. Anyway, we had also heard that Urameshi's territory offered more freedoms, and his standard of government wasn't nearly as complex as Mukuro's or Yomi's."  
  
Keiko rolled her eyes. "Makes sense. Yusuke failed government." She said.  
  
Kane chose to disregard this statement as well.  
  
"Anyway." He continued. "We weren't here for more than a few hours when a fight broke out between two merchants trying to sell the same product. Both of which were cheap anyway. The fight somehow dragged innocent bystanders into it, injuring many. As a collective group of six, we did what we could, but that was only so much. Nissa, my sister, and I healed as many as we could, while our friends did what was in their power to restrain, and keep individuals from getting involved. We could only do so much though. Eventually, Urameshi himself came down to break up the argument, and both merchants were sentenced to exile. They were very lucky really. Had such a thing occurred in Gandara, Yomi would have sentenced them to a far worse fate. But, moving right along, Urameshi recognized us for the help we gave, or rather, attempted to give, and he kindly invited us up to his castle. We were wary of the offer at first, but decided to go anyway. We told him about our pasts. Nissa and I, were at that time, still evading the slave owners of which we had escaped months prior. He allowed us to stay and work with him. He trained us so we learned to better our abilities. Under his tutoring we all moved up to middle B-class demons. Before we were only in the upper D-class. We owed him a lot, and still do to this day. Life was good, until . . . one day. This one day, it was very strange. He just began mumbling to himself about regrets. How he should have given it back, whatever 'it' was. He began to close himself off from everything . . . and everyone. He stopped eating, and he grew . . . ill. And then, one day we didn't see him all together. Slowly, demons began abandoning this place. The city itself began to fall apart due to raiding and destruction caused by less than respectful youkai. Everything turned to ruins, and that is how you see it now."  
  
There was silence for an extended moment. No one spoke. The sky got darker, and shadows began creeping about the littered ground. A chill found it's way up Keiko's spine. She wasn't cold, but something about this dead place was unsettling.  
  
'Yusuke. What were you thinking? Are you even okay? Was it because of what happened . . . between us? You could have come back. I wanted you back, but I . . . was to stubborn, had too much pride to come back to you. Was that the problem for you too? God I'm stupid, we both were, both are. We can fix this though, I know we can. Yusuke, I want you back.'  
  
"Kane, have you noticed any unfamiliar demons in the city?"  
  
A voice broke Keiko's solemn thoughts. It was Kurama. His question was more to the point than any other that had been asked thus far.  
  
"Unfamiliar? No, not that I've seen, and I spend most of my time traveling the city in search of supplies that may have been left behind, and fending off scavengers, the wretched things."  
  
"I see, so you haven't --"  
  
"I have."  
  
Everyone stopped walking and looked back at the icy eyed Dimitre. His hands were not in their usual place across his chest, but hung down by his sides.  
Kurama's eyes narrowed in alarm, becoming nothing more than golden slivers. The fox looked oddly dangerous like this. "Where? What did you see?" He asked.  
  
Dim's eyes were cast down to the ground. "A while back. I don't remember exactly when. I was down by the gates when I caught glimpses of a group of youkai. I couldn't make them out, and I went after them, but by the time I caught up with them . . . they were . . . gone."  
  
"Gone?" Questioned Tain, making himself heard.  
  
Dim nodded. "Disappeared out of thin air, it seemed. It was as though they melted into the shadows. I didn't say anything about it mainly because I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, or something. There was no way to explain what I saw. But, why do you want to know?"  
  
"Because the ones that you saw were a group of thieves. They aren't very powerful, but their leader . . . well, we don't know anything about him. We think that he is using this city as a strong hold. Yomi believes that he may try a take over of his territory, and last we heard, Mukuro was just as wary of them." Replied Hiei, speaking for the first time in a while.  
  
"Dim, have you seen them since?" Asked Tain.  
  
The dark haired demon shook his head in a negative.  
  
"I see, well, we'll talk of these things later. Let's go." Said Kane. Then he turned and began walking. They all followed, and no one spoke.  
  
They were at a sort of stand still point. No one knew what to think, or say. There was no new information, not much of anything. And so, they walked in silence, each with their own respective thoughts.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Nissa."  
  
Nissa looked up at the sound of her name. "Hm?" She asked.  
  
"Someone is coming."  
  
She flipped her long brunette hair over her shoulder, as it was constantly getting in the way. Then she took a random strip of black leather and bound the silky strands together. The black leather strip went well with her ankle length, gray tunic and black sash around her waist. Underneath the tunic was a black, skintight shirt and on her feet were ankle high black shoes.  
  
"You're sure, Cimmy?" She asked, her voice calm and collected like her brother's.  
  
Cimmy was tall with dull, sky blue skin. Her perfectly, bright, white hair hung in many small braids, some of which occupied the top of her head in a most intricate, and lavish way. Her eyes, almond shaped and somewhat metallic looking, were golden in color. She was rather tall, lean, and slender. She wore pants that acted as a second skin, and a limp, slimming skirt of a white, see through material out lined in gold that hung low on her hips. Her upper body sported an equally tight, white shirt that hung off of her shoulders. The sleeves went down to the middle of her arm. Unlike the rest of her outfit, they were not so tight, but in stead hung loosely, and were made out of the same material as the covering over her pants. Her long, sharp looking nails were a shimmering golden color that imitated her eyes almost perfectly, and her shoes, white in color, were like that of Chinese or Japanese slippers. She was of elfin decent and therefore had the traditional pointed ears. She was a delicate looking creature, beautiful, and yet dangerous in appearance. Her voice was deeply feminine, and yet soft.  
  
"Certainly." Responded Cimmy.  
  
Nissa nodded. She knew better than to doubt her friend's senses. They were always accurate.  
  
"From what direction are they coming?"  
  
The snowy haired elf pointed toward the front of the castle. "There. It is Tain, Kane, and Dim, but three others accompany them. A silver youko, a fire youkai, and a . . ." She let her sentence trail off, and her eyes narrowed.  
  
Nissa waited for a moment, before urging her friend on. "And a what?" She asked impatiently.  
  
". . . And a ningen young woman."  
  
"A human? Here? Why would they bring a human here?"  
  
"There is no danger. They are here to help."  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"I do not feel any negative intent."  
  
Nissa bit her lip. Her right hand flew to her hip and her fingers began to tap wildly. She paced.  
  
"How far off are they?" She asked.  
  
"A few yards away."  
  
The horned demon stopped, and faced her friend. Indigo eyes widened in alarm.  
  
"From the castle!? Are you kidding me?"  
  
Cimmy raised a white eyebrow.  
  
"Right. You don't joke." Nissa said, visibly deflating. "Very well, let us meet them in the front in case of any problems. Please fetch Timerie, would you?"  
  
A simple nod of the head was all that the elf gave before dematerializing into a sort of white mist and disappearing. Nissa, in the meantime, made her way to the front gate. She grabbed a torch on her way out of the kitchen where they had been residing for the past hour or so. The dim, orange glow created sultry shadows on the wide hallways as she walked, and her eyes glowed softly, making the dark scamper away into unlit corners. For darkness is a coward if challenged, and a foe only when feared. Nissa was not scared of the dark, for she had spent many a year in small dark places that smelled of waste, sweat, and blood. She had fallen asleep listening to the lullaby of screams of agony. She woke up every morning only to find that yet another slave, like herself, had died from illness, or from whatever punishments were bestowed upon them. Of coarse, there were times when they weren't always dead too. Sometimes, she would wake up only to find a mangled body lying there next to her. The slave owners rarely disposed of the bodies. Yes, often they would still be alive, making choking sounds in their throats, gurgling up blood, missing body parts, just lying there unable to move, to think, unable to understand anything except impending death, and the pain that would soon end because of it. Sometimes their arms would fly up and catch her wrist or ankle, and tug violently at her, begging her for help. She had only been a child. What could she have done? When this happened she would just stare at them with eyes full of sympathy, and wait quietly until the grip loosened and the fingers released her. That didn't always happen either. There were times when she would have to literally pry their fingers apart in order to be released. Of ten times she would be left with bruises or cuts. The bodies of these poor demons would be left to rot on the floor, the same one that she, and her brother slept on. They would be there every night that they lay down to go to sleep, and every morning that they awoke. Time would ware on and those still, lifeless corpses would still be there, and eventually the body began to look more like a bloody pile of bones and exposed inner body parts. The stench was terrible, the insects that it drew tended to be very unfriendly, many times they were venomous. However, she and her brother were immune to illness or venom, anything life threatening, as they were healers. Their power had not been developed at such a young age, and so it was not within their bounds to be able to help those other slaves.  
  
Nissa looked up as she neared the front doors. She gave one a gentle shove, and it swung open. The fading light blinded her for a moment before she finally accustomed herself to it. She saw them then, walking out of the gray mist. Kane was leading them, which wasn't surprising really. As they neared, she kept a stoic expression, for she was still wary of these new comers. However, Tain shattered her solemn mood when he waved at her, and she saw the large grin spread across his handsome features. Reluctantly, she waved back and flashed the faintest of smiles.  
  
Kane greeted her with a hug, and a peck on the cheek.  
  
"I've brought some company, sister." He said. "The youko is called Kurama, and the fire demon is Hiei. The human is Keiko. They're here to help us. They claim that they can help Yusuke."  
  
Nissa acknowledged each of them with a smile or a nod of her head.  
  
"My name is Nissa, and I'm glad to meet you all. Please come in." And she stepped aside graciously offering them all entrance.  
  
Kurama, Hiei, and Keiko all did as asked, and went in. Keiko found herself somewhat intimidated by the huge hallways. It bared an empty feeling like Yomi's. She frowned. 'Leave it to Yusuke.' She thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Chocolate eyes opened half way. He let out a painful cough, and shifted his position on his bed. Such a pitiful sight this boy was. Once a strong, determined individual, and now nothing more than a frail creature lying in a pool of self-sorrow. And yet, something flashed in those eyes, something. It was as though the voice of recognition had just whispered something in his ears. A single word tumbled from his lips.  
  
" . . . Keiko . . ." 


	13. A Snag in Love Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Hypnotist: (Swinging a watch back and forth) Now repeat after me. You do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
Me: (In a weird, zombie like daze) You do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
Hypnotist: No, YOU do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
Me: No, YOU do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Hypnotist: No, no. I know that I don't, but you don't either.  
  
Me: (Still watching watch going back and forth. Speaking in weird zombie voice) No, no. I know that I don't, but you don't either.  
  
Hypnotist: (Sighs exasperated) Stop repeating after me, and repeat after me correctly!  
  
Me: Stop repeating after me, and repeat after me correctly!  
  
Hypnotist: No! Just . . . you DON'T own Yu Yu Hakusho!  
  
Me: No! Just . . . you DON'T own Yu Yu Hakusho!  
  
Hypnotist: No!! That's NOT what I mean!  
  
Me: (Suddenly out of daze) Then what the hell DO you mean, 'cause I can't figure it out! (Gets up, leaves, slams door behind me) Oh yeah, by the by, I really don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but is it just me or do guys like that get paid way to much!?  
Author's Note: Ok, so there isn't really a logical explanation for the disclaimer, so uh . . . just kinda . . . smile, and nod, and continue reading. Thanks! ^_^,  
Chapter: 13  
  
Keiko, Kurama, and Hiei were treated graciously by the six other demons. They were formally introduced to the mysterious Cimmy, and the short tempered, yet energetic Timerie.  
  
If Keiko didn't know better, she would have thought that Timerie was a human of Irish decent. For the girl was of average height, pale and fair in complexion, and had piercing green eyes about the color of Kurama's human body's. Her hair was strawberry blond, slightly wavy, and very thick. It went all the way down to her waist, but she kept it braided, so it was probably much longer. Her clothing consisted of a very simple beige pair of pants tucked into an equally simple pair of dark brown leather boots that went up to her knees. Her shirt was the same rich, dark color as her pants, and was form fitting in the body, but miles away from tight. Perhaps the only thing abnormal about her garments was that one sleeve was long, going down to her wrists, while the other was cut off at her shoulder much like a tank top. She was a thin girl, and yet, not slender like the other two. She was well built, muscular, but not too. All in all, she was far less menacing looking than her companions, except for Tain of coarse, who always wore the most friendly and inviting expressions.  
  
"Would you like some tea, Ms. Keiko?" Asked the soft voice of Cimmy. She smiled down at her kindly, and gently. Keiko shook her head.  
  
"No, thank you, I'm alright. I just--" But Keiko's sentence was cut off abruptly when they all heard a series of clattering sounds coming from the kitchen.  
  
Dimitre glanced around at all of the familiar faces in the room. He frowned.  
  
"We're all accounted for." He stated grimly.  
  
Now all eyes narrowed as they looked toward the kitchen, or at least, all eyes except those of Keiko. Something inside of her told her that there was no danger. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She took brief notice to the fact that Hiei had his hand, once again, on the hilt of his sword. His face was expressionless, his eyes emotionless. This was nothing abnormal to her, but certainly, it bothered her. She felt closer to the fire youkai now. She felt as though they were friends, and although he was a fighter, and many times a cold-blooded killer, she trusted him.  
  
Another clattering sound, louder than the first few, grabbed her attention back to the half opened door that led into the kitchen. Suddenly, the door began to move ever so slightly, as if the thing itself were struggling. It began to inch open further and further. A sheet of utter silence, and slight trepidation covered the atmosphere around the gathered.  
The door made one final attempt, and completely fell open. Everyone gasped in shock. The person standing there was no enemy, but a longed for friend. Tears stung Keiko's eyes, and her body shook involuntarily.  
  
"Yusuke." She whispered.  
  
There he stood, slouched against the doorframe, hair in tangles, skin pale, eyes half lidded, his chest heaving from exertion. He starred impassively about the room, almost as though he didn't recognize anyone there . . . that is until he saw her. Keiko, who was standing now, her arms hugging herself protectively, her eyes glossy, and brimmed with tears that slowly began to pool over, and fall like crystalline water, down her cheeks. Yusuke cracked a small smile then, gazing at her for only a moment before his body shuttered, and he began to fall forward, unconscious.  
  
Keiko's eyes widened. "Yusuke!" She called, and wasted no time in running to him. She caught him just before he would have made impact with the floor, but the weight of his body brought her to her knees. She held him firmly in her arms, and buried her face in the mess of his hair, her tears dampening the black strands. Gently she rocked him back and forth.  
  
"Yusuke, oh Yusuke, you baka. You stupid baka. Look what you've done to yourself." She whispered, closing her eyes tightly. "Look what you've done . . ."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"But Father, surely there are more efficient ways to decide upon who rules the Makai. The tournaments are not only time consuming, but allows the opportunity for irresponsible youkai to gain control. Wouldn't it be more reasonable for the most intelligent and cunning, rather than the most powerful to gain such power?" Shura argued rather practically.  
  
Yomi shook his head. "The Makai tournament offers power to the winner. Is it not true that in the process of obtaining victory, one must not only be strong, but must also possess a large quantity of intelligence, cunning, and will?"  
  
"But that does not mean that that particular one is the most qualified, Father." Retorted Shura.  
  
Yomi considered this, and then nodded. "Touché." He said simply, smiling.  
  
His son, Shura, was a bit more peace loving than himself. Yomi wasn't sure where Shura had gotten his ideas from, but the boy was difficult to move if he had his mind set. He supposed that that was a good thing, and no matter what Shura would, inevitably, one day become a very good ruler.  
However, they did not have a chance to continue with their debate, for the senses of both youkai began tingling. They turned toward the closed doors that separated the dining room from the rest of the castle. Yomi gently placed the teacup he had been holding, back on the low table top, and stood. Shura followed his example.  
  
As expected by father and son, the doors burst open revealing Yoda, Ellena, and a small messenger demon, which looked more than a little frightened. In fact, the small demon practically clutched to Ellena's legs.  
"Yomi, we've word of Kurama and his companions." Said Ellena simply.  
She turned her kindly gaze down to the trembling youkai, and gave him a warm smile. She bent down, gray hair tumbling over her shoulder liker a silky water fall, and gave him a reassuring touch on his shoulder, then a little push forward.  
  
The little creature let out a long breath, and spoke in a high-pitched tone.  
  
"Yomi-sama, Prince Shura, I have word of Kurama, Hiei, and the human girl. I saw them enter the territory of Urameshi some time ago. There were odd youkai surrounding the perimeter of the city. They were the likes of which I have never seen. Kurama slew a couple of them, and myself, plus a few other spies that you sent out managed to bring back the body of one. We think it is very important that someone inspect the carcass."  
  
Yomi nodded. "Very well. Thank you, now be gone." He ordered.  
  
The little youkai sighed in relief, and zoomed out of the room.  
  
"Where is it?" Yomi asked.  
  
Ellena, and Yoda looked at one another, and then back at Yomi.  
  
"Dear, I think it's in the front hall." Ellena said.  
  
Yomi's eyebrow rose. "The hall? Why would the corpse of a dead demon be lying in the front hall?"  
  
"To be quite frank, no one wanted to touch it . . . including myself and Yoda."  
  
The horned king shook his head, and let out a sigh. "Come Shura, let us go see this demon."  
  
The party of four walked from the dining room, past many other chambers, and large rooms, all of which were fairly stark and barren, before finally coming to the place of destination. There they saw the dead creature. It was covered in a sort of oozy, clear, slimy substance. Patches of fur were placed randomly about its whitish green body, and huge black veins bulged all over. It was bulky, and quite massive, with sharp teeth, and frog lips, and a long, pointed, pale pink tongue hung out of it's mouth.  
  
Shura involuntarily covered his mouth. The thing was disgusting!  
  
"Father, what in the three worlds IS that thing?" He asked, after regaining partial composure.  
  
Yomi shook his head. "I have no idea . . . but its--"  
  
"Gross." Said Shura, finishing off his father's sentence.  
  
Yomi glanced back at his son, wondering where he would have learned such slang. However, he passed it off, and knelt down next to the creature.  
  
"I must say that I don't blame anyone for not wishing to touch this . . . thing."  
  
Something caught his eyes then. On the sickening youkai's chest, symbols began glowing in a purplish light. It was in a very old language, so old that not even Yomi could decipher it, which is why he was surprised when he heard a horrified gasp coming from Ellena. Her eyes went wide, and her hands flew up to either side of her face. She shook her head gently from side to side.  
  
Her voice was filled with fear, and was grave as she slowly said, "Oh my, oh, oh merciful Gods. Yomi, we've got to get those children out of there."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Those symbols. They are from an ancient youkai tribe known as the Sphinxes. Few know of them, but I . . . well my mother was a part of the tribe, until she was exiled for standing up against the rituals that they practiced. She taught me to read their language, and this is an incantation. A very dangerous, incantation." Ellena replied.  
  
Shura knelt down next to the body, getting a better look at the symbols.  
  
"Ellena, what does it say?" He asked.  
  
"Literally, it reads, 'One who bares the living death.'"  
  
Now Yoda let out a gasp. "So that means . . . surely not!"  
  
"Surely so, I'm afraid. That means that this . . . thing, is what became of the soul of a demon. The spy said that there were several of them around the area, which means dozens had to have died for their souls to be obtained. A very specific ritual had to be performed in order to create what you see before you, and it had to be done in a very specific place, by a very specific demon. One of the original tribe's bloodline. Oddly enough, the tribe was said to have died out centuries ago, but if one still lives. . . we have a large problem on our hands."  
  
Yomi digested all of this new information, calculated it, and then thought of a significant question.  
"Why would one go through all of this trouble merely to create the lot of these brainless monsters?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.  
  
The gray haired one let her arms drop to her sides as if they weighed several tons.  
  
"They wouldn't." She whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh Yomi! They wouldn't. This is only a small portion of whatever they are trying to accomplish!"  
  
"But you said that the ritual can only be performed in a specific area." Retorted the king.  
  
Ellena nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, that's right. Rituals may only be performed within the tribe's . . . territory." Her voice lost all of it's energy as a more serious realization hit her. The same realization hit Yomi as well.  
  
"Could it be?" He asked.  
  
Shura frowned. "Father, what--"  
  
"Quickly, let's get to the library." Yomi cut him off, and took off running toward the spoken destination, followed immediately by Ellena, and then Yoda. The young prince sighed in frustration. "Forget this." He mumbled, and stalked off toward his room.  
  
Meanwhile, Yomi, and the two elders had arrived at the library. Yomi accessed a few maps from the libraries databases.  
  
"There, can you get a closer image of that one there?" Asked Ellena as she pointed at the screen.  
  
Yomi nodded, and enlarged the area that she had shown him. Ellena squinted.  
  
"More, a little more . . . more, and . . . no, a little more. . . more. . . there! That's perfect. Now can you pull this map up to the one that we just enlarged?" Yomi did so. He watched, and waited as Ellena studied them, her eyes flying across the screen then looking upward in remembrance.  
  
"I don't believe it." She said.  
  
"Were we correct?" questioned the king.  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
He wrinkled his brow. "Those creatures, there was a band of them surrounding the area and . . . wait, a band, there was a band of them. Damn it!"  
  
Ellena placed a hand on his arm. "What is it?"  
  
"I think I know what happened to that group of youkai thieves that we were all so very worried about." He replied.  
  
"Do you think so? And their leader? What of him?"  
  
"I think, Ellena, that perhaps he is the one who is responsible for their deaths." Ellena's eyes widened. "Then he is the direct bloodline descendant." She concluded gravely.  
  
"Yes, and if we thought that he was after my or Mukuro's territory, I'm afraid we were greatly mistaken. If anything, that was just a distraction used to keep us off the trail of what he really had planned."  
  
"Yomi, get them out of there."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Had it been a dream? But everything was so real. He saw her standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. Her light brown hair, her glistening honey colored eyes, her radiant face. Oddly, she was very pretty when sad or angry. Perhaps that was one reason why he had spent so much time getting on her nerves . . . so long ago.  
  
It was dark here in this place, wherever 'here' was anyway. It was cold too. He remembered all of those times when he'd come back from a fight bruised up, scratched, cut, bleeding and what have you. Keiko would somehow always be around to first give him a good smack across the face, and then to help him home where she would tend to his wounds, help get himself cleaned up, and then she would insist that he get into bed. Her hands had always been so smooth, like fine silk, and cool, but not cold. She would often hum to herself while she busied herself in the kitchen, believing that a hot meal was just as healing as a few bandages.  
  
He sighed. A dream. Yes, it had to be, for he had lost that angel long ago. But then what was that sound somewhere far off in the obsidian distance? He could hear it, soft, and lulling. Warmth began to settle within him, and he held fast to the serene feelings of contentment. Slowly at first, and then rapidly, he felt himself being pulled, pulled away from this dark, cold place, back towards a light that he could see glowing. It was inviting him, beckoning him to come towards it. As he walked towards the light, the soft humming that he had been hearing grew in volume. That light, yes, he could touch it now . . . all he had to do was . . . reach . . .  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yusuke. Yusuke." Keiko said softly. The boy was stirring in his bed, and mumbling something incomprehensible. Keiko touched a wet cloth to his dry, cracked lips, moistening them, and washing away some of the dry blood. Steadily, she moved the rag from his lips and lightly caressed his cheeks with it.  
  
Yusuke let out a few more mumbles, and Keiko smiled dreamily. She touched the back of her hand to his forehead.  
  
"Your fever is gone now. Yusuke, wake up, wake up Yusuke." She said.  
Suddenly, he let out a groan, and the lids of his eyes began to open ever so slowly, revealing those chocolate colored eyes, so drowsy, and confused. Keiko chuckled in her throat, and smiled easily at him, waiting patiently for his mind to make him more aware. She turned her back to him for only a moment in order to douse the cloth in water once more. Suddenly, she felt something, a hand no doubt, snaking up her leg until it reached her bottom, which it then gave a light squeeze. Out of habit Keiko whipped around, metal water basin in hand.  
  
"Yusuke! You pervert!" She yelled.  
  
SMACK! The basin hit the bed-ridden boy right across the face. Water spilled out all over him and his bedding, and to top it all off, a painful numbness crept into his head. He couldn't help grinning. No, this was no dream. For only Keiko had the ability to make a lack of feeling painful.  
  
"Hey there." He greeted, but his voice cracked, and his throat hurt. He winced.  
  
Keiko starred at him with wide eyes, which suddenly became damp with more tears. And here she thought she had cried them all out!  
  
"Hi." She replied, a smile present on her lips.  
  
They watched one another for what seemed to be an eternity before Keiko walked over to his bedside, and sat down, carefully avoiding the wet spots. She placed the rag on top of his forehead.  
  
"Keep that on there, Yusuke. It'll help keep the fever at bay." She said.  
  
The tears had dispersed for the moment, and in their place had left tear stained cheeks, and slightly puffy eyes.  
  
"How do you feel?" She questioned gently.  
  
Yusuke shifted his position a little under the covers.  
  
"As well as could be expected in this particular state of health."  
  
Something glinted in Keiko's eyes.  
  
"Which you brought on yourself." She said suddenly, harshness in her voice.  
  
He averted his eyes from her now angry expression.  
  
"I--"  
  
"YOU are responsible for your health Yusuke Urameshi. And," Keiko got up from the bed. She walked over to the two huge, glass doors that led to a balcony. They were covered with fine looking curtains, which were covered in dust. Keiko frowned as she shoved them open, allowing a thick draft of chilly night air to blow into the room. They also allowed the over look of the dead city below.  
  
"YOU are responsible for THIS." She finished, glaring back at him.  
  
Yusuke shrank back from her cold gaze, sliding deeper under his covers. Yet, his eyes did look at where she pointed. The sight that they beheld was sad. He bit his lip, causing a few of the scabbed over cracks to split open and bleed. However, he paid no mind to such small injuries, not when guilt was causing far more injury to his heart.  
  
"Keiko, I--" He began,  
  
"Am a selfish bastard." Cut in Keiko, her voice holding venom.  
  
Yusuke winced from the verbal slap. Physical, verbal, emotional, whatever, whenever Keiko dealt the hit, it hurt.  
  
He bowed his head. "I'm sorry." He said simply. He couldn't think of anything else to say, but he knew saying SOMETHING was better than saying absolutely nothing.  
  
"You're SORRY? That's it? You're sorry? Yusuke, look what you've done to yourself! You're sick; you're dehydrated and unnourished. You had a dangerously high fever for God's sake! You let this city, this beautiful place fall like the damned Roman Empire, and all you can say is that you're sorry? You haven't changed Yusuke, not at all. You're still irresponsible, and selfish, and, you're, you're coughing. Oh! Hang on, I'm going to get you some water, but don't think we're done here!" Keiko scolded, and left the room.  
  
Yusuke smiled through his sudden coughing fit. He missed her outbursts. Keiko . . . she was right, he knew she was right, but did she know? Did she know that he was like this because . . . of her, because he had lost her? He didn't imagine. Suddenly, Keiko came rushing back in with a pitcher of water and a cup. She poured the beverage, and handed it to him. Between coughs Yusuke managed to get some of it down, and it helped. All the while, Keiko was rubbing comforting circles on his back, waiting patiently until he was all right again.  
  
"Better?" She asked, when he handed her the empty glass.  
  
"Yes--"  
  
"Good, because I am FAR from done with you Urameshi!"  
  
Yusuke winced, and sighed, preparing himself for what was going to be a killer argument.  
  
"Yusuke, how could you let this happen? Weren't you thinking about the people who trusted you to keep this place alive? Did the thought cross your mind even once about those who needed you? Stupid question! It obviously didn't. Don't you understand, that those kids out there, Tain, Dimitre, Cimmy, and Timerie, the twins, Nissa, and Kane, needed you? STILL need you? What about THEM Yusuke. They don't understand why you've closed yourself off, and although YOU abandoned THEM, THEY didn't abandon YOU. In fact they spend all of their time trying to maintain the castle, and protect what's left to protect of the city. They are all that is left. That's it. Everyone else is GONE, Yusuke."  
  
The boy looked up sharply. "Gone? Everyone? Literally?" He asked, a little taken aback.  
Keiko gave him a curt nod. "Everyone, except them . . . and me, and Kurama, and Hiei. They're here too. They're all here for you, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'M here for you as well, but you Yusuke, where were you when WE needed YOU, hm?"  
  
The shell of reserve, and harshness that had encased her secretly fragile heart began to crack ever so slightly.  
  
"Do you even realize what kind of hell my life has been for the last years?"  
  
A few more cracks formed. Tears began to form in her eyes again.  
  
"My parents died!"  
  
The casing began to shutter, more cracks forming on it.  
  
"I took up drinking damn it!"  
  
Small pieces began to break off.  
  
"My career faltered!"  
  
"Yusuke, I NEEDED you!"  
  
The casing shattered, a million tiny pieces falling, falling into the depths of her soul, where they would remain in a pool of sorrow, and regret. Tears fell freely now, and Keiko sobbed almost uncontrollably.  
  
Yusuke's eyes widened, and his breathing became strained. He tilted his head down, and his hand clenched tightly to the blankets that covered him. Suddenly, dark spots of salty wetness marred the material, and Yusuke clenched his eyes shut, in a vain attempt to stop his own tears.  
  
"I . . . I'm sorry . . ." He muttered between clenched teeth.  
  
Keiko shook her head gently from side to side.  
  
"Yusuke--" She began.  
  
"No, Keiko. You're right! You were ALWAYS right! I'm such a bastard! I AM rude, and, and selfish, and I . . . damn it Keiko, I'm sorry!"  
  
Yusuke lifted his head, his own eyes glassy, and his cheeks wet with tears. Keiko was taken aback by this. Yusuke was . . . crying, and he was hurting and . . .  
  
"Yusuke, you ARE a bastard." She said quietly.  
  
Suddenly, she walked back across the room to his bedside, and sat down, this time not minding the wet spots. She starred into his eyes, and he starred into hers. They stayed as such for a while, calculating, testing, searching, and then Keiko let out a sigh.  
  
"Jerk . . . quit agreeing with me, or else, how can I stay angry with you?" She asked playfully, a smile playing across her lips.  
  
Yusuke chuckled deep in his throat.  
  
"Damn, I can't do anything right." He replied.  
  
Keiko began to giggle, and then she broke out in to full laughter, Yusuke followed her example. Suddenly, she grabbed onto his waist, holding fast to him, her face buried in his abdomen. Her shoulders were shuttering with laughter, and with sobs. He wrapped his arms, in turn, around her slender form, and sighed in relief. It felt good . . . to have her back in his arms. 


	14. A Snag in Love Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Now let's think about this. If I really own Yu Yu Haksuho, why would I be writing this???? Exactly!  
Author's Note: Okay folks. This chapter is the longest one thus far. I'm trying to post this in a hurry, and so, please excuse any terrible spelling errors (forget grammar though, because I ALWAYS have grammar errors . . . I'm comma happy, what can I say?) . Anyway, read and enjoy, thank you.  
Chapter: 14  
"It's been a while now. It's late, and we're all tired. If what you two say is true about Keiko and Yusuke's relationship, then I doubt that they'll be done talking any time soon. It's been a long day. We all need some rest. Kurama, Hiei, your room is down this way. I hope you don't mind sharing." Said Timerie.  
  
Kurama and Hiei glanced at one another, and Kurama shook his head.  
  
"No, we've no problem with that." He said simply.  
  
She nodded, and smiled at the pair. "Come on then, I'll take you there." She said, stifling a yawn.  
  
Kurama and Hiei followed her down a dark hallway, very plain, and placid. As they walked Timerie asked them more questions about Keiko, about Yusuke, and about their relationship with one another. She seemed genuinely interested, and somewhat of a romantic too. Every now and then she would let out a dreamy sigh, and Kurama would smile, while Hiei would roll his crimson colored eyes. Finally, they came to a pair of double doors, large, but not over whelming. Timerie opened the doors, and stepped to the side, allowing the two demons entrance. The room was elegant, but not necessarily royal. It suited them fine though, as they were used to sleeping in trees, and in caves.  
  
Timerie bowed her head shallowly, and winked at them.  
  
"Sleep tight." She stated cheerily, and began walking away. "Oh, and by the way." she stopped to look over her shoulder at them. "If you need anything during the night, Nissa's room is the third door on the left, and Cimmy's is the fifth. They're the only ones who'll be willing to help you out. Well, g'night." She finished, and her form was swallowed up by the shadows, which inhabited the corridors.  
  
Hiei sighed. It was somewhat of a rueful sound, and Kurama picked up on it instantly. He closed the door gently behind them.  
  
"What seems to be the matter, Hiei?" He asked softly.  
  
The jaganashi shook his head slowly from side to side, his eyes glowing like crimson pools in the eerie dimness in the room.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling, fox." He said. However, it did not sound as though he deemed it to be a mere 'feeling'. Perhaps, Kurama thought, that Hiei believed it to be a sort of premonition, which was entirely possible. His friend's intuition was extremely accurate, and was certainly not something to be taken lightly, however, under their circumstances, there was nothing that either of them could do.  
  
"Hm. What do you suppose it means, Hiei?" Questioned Kurama.  
  
A shrug. "In one word? Danger. In eight words? We should get the hell out of here." Replied Hiei, voice calm, and steady, face blank as per the usual.  
  
The silver fox let out a sigh. "I see." He said.  
  
Golden eyes flickered in the dim light that was being radiated from a few candles set randomly around the room. He frowned. The candles gave the room a sort of medieval effect, which really made him uncomfortable, although he was not sure why. It just did.  
  
"Kurama, my mind keeps reverting back to that well in that underground dome. You concluded that those bodies were probably part of some ritual, did you not?" Hiei asked suddenly. His voice made it sound as if he were keen to something.  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
"What ELSE did you conclude?"  
  
Kurama blinked innocently. "What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
Hiei frowned. "You know very well what I mean." He said, as though he were scolding a child for lying about drawing on the walls.  
  
"Are you insinuating that I am coveting information?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh, well . . . you're right."  
  
A half smile found its way on to the fire youkai's lips. "So cough it up, kitsune."  
  
Kurama flipped a few silvery strands of hair over his shoulder, and let his fingers knit their way into the silky strands. There was silence, and Hiei waited, knowing well enough that youkos did WHAT they wanted to do only when THEY wanted to do it. Finally, after a few minutes, Kurama cleared his throat.  
  
"I think that perhaps those disgusting things outside are the soul reincarnates of the youkai we saw in the well." He said simply, and to the point.  
  
Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Really?"  
  
"Yes, and I think that you're right to be worried, because that ritual is very old, and I've only heard of it once in all my years of living, which, you know, has been . . . a while."  
  
"Yes, you are pretty old, Kurama." Agreed Hiei, a playful glint sparking in his eyes.  
  
Kurama's own eyes went slightly wide, and his face looked rather indignant, and then took on its frequent look of vanity. "I may be older than you, but for my age, I look DAMN good." He said playfully.  
  
Hiei rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself." He mumbled, but smiled despite himself.  
  
Kurama threw him a charming wink. "What's there to get over? Just admit it Hiei. I'm the best lookin' demon in the Makai." Continued the fox jokingly.  
"Ch. And the vainest." Hiei replied.  
  
"Okay, I'll accept discreet confessions."  
  
"ANYWAY! Moving right along, Kurama. What about this ritual?"  
  
Any playfulness that remained on Kurama's delicate features disappeared, his expression taking on a more serious look.  
  
"It's not something to be trifled with. If I remember correctly, its goal is to obtain power . . . lots of it. In order to do so, one must take the living souls of demons, extract them, and reincarnate them into solid bodies, hence our slimy friends. These bodies are mindless, and lack little if any you-ki at all. They are merely components in this ritual, beacons, if you will. When set up correctly, the souls within each of these bodies, which act as shelter for them, or as a storage area, keeping them alive and nurtured, will be extracted once again, and transformed into pure energy. Once this is accomplished, the newly formed energy will unite into one body, the body of the one who began the ritual."  
  
Red eyes widened in alarm. "Souls transformed into pure energy? That kind of power--"  
  
"Could be literally unstoppable. However, this ritual may only be performed by a specific person of a certain tribe of demons that died out centuries ago."  
  
Hiei sighed. "You're certain none of them are alive?"  
  
Kurama shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just telling you what I heard over 150 years ago, so don't quote me on it." He replied.  
  
"I see. So, no matter what, we still have no idea as to what is going on?"  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"Fine. I'm going to sleep."  
  
Kurama nodded, and yawned. "I'll join you in that fun little activity." He agreed.  
  
"Whatever, just don't wake me up for anything stupid." Hiei said indignantly.  
  
Kurama looked offended. "I never wake you up for stupid things!"  
  
"Hiei, is it just me or is it colder in here? Hiei, what do you wanna do tomorrow? Hiei, would you hand me my hairbrush?" The fire youkai mimicked the fox in a high-pitched whiney sounding voice.  
  
"I do not sound that way you little liar, and anyway, you snore."  
  
Hiei shrugged. "Eye for an eye, fox. Night." He said, his voice already thick with sleepiness.  
  
Kurama smiled fondly at his friend. "Indeed. Good night Hiei." And he snuffed out the candles.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Aqua eyes glowed dimly in the darkness, as their owner walked soundlessly toward an open balcony. In his hands he held two cups filled with steaming hot tea.  
  
"Dim?" Tain called quietly.  
  
The darkly clad figure, which had been leaning, his arms folded, on the stone railing of the balcony over looking the city ruins, looked up, and his piercing eyes flashed briefly.  
  
"Oh, Tain. What are you doing up?" He asked, turning his vision back toward the city.  
  
Tain walked up next to him and set one of the cups down by his friend's arm.  
  
"I could ask you the same question." He replied, now looking off into the foggy distance.  
  
Dimitre snorted, and picked up his glass to drink.  
  
"But you didn't." He said, hiding a playful grin behind his cup.  
  
Tain rolled his eyes, and let out a sigh.  
  
"Very well. What are YOU doing up?"  
  
"Thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Anything . . . everything."  
  
Silence. A breeze caught swirled around the pair, blowing the steam from their tea in various directions. The sky was dark, and the darkness seemed interminable. There were no stars to be seen, not even the moon shone brightly above them. It was dark . . . and that was all. Tain observed the tea; it's auburn color, the way it lapped the side of the glass, as though trying to make a desperate attempt to escape. Maybe, he thought, they should all try to escape.  
  
"Tain?"  
  
The sprite looked up, slightly startled.  
  
"Ah, yeah?" He answered quickly.  
  
Dimitre looked at him now. "Do you suppose. . . that things will change now?"  
  
"Change? Change how?" Tain questioned, a little confused.  
  
Dim shrugged. "Dunno. Just . . . change. Do you think things will start to revert back to, to what they used to be?" He said, trying to clarify his coment.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Tain paused, running words through, and possible answers though his mind. He sipped at his tea for a moment, wondering, thinking, and then he let out a sigh.  
  
"It's possible. All we need is Yusuke back. He's strong, he can rebuild everything . . . if he wants to. Maybe with her, er . . . Keiko, here, he'll get better." Tain offered.  
  
"Or . . . maybe he'll leave." Dimitre's voice was almost bitter in it's quiet, soft tone.  
  
Tain eyed him warily. "Leave? Why, and where would he go?"  
  
"With her, back to the Ningenkai."  
  
"Surely not. I mean, he wouldn't, he came here because he loved it in the Makai." Argued the latter.  
  
"He came here because he lost Keiko. Now that he has her back, what guarantee is there that he will stay?"  
  
"There isn't one, I guess. But . . . do you really think he'd leave, Dim?" Tain asked, his confidence suddenly weaker.  
  
"I--" Dimitre began, but his voice dropped immediately, and his icy eyes narrowed in to glowing blue slits.  
  
Tain cocked his head slightly. "What is it?" He asked.  
  
"Sh! Listen." Dim commanded, and Tain obeyed.  
  
He could here nothing, save for the swishing of the wind. He shook his head.  
  
"I don't hear anything, Dim, maybe you're imagining it."  
  
Dimitre held up a hand, demanding silence, and Tain once again obliged. He waited, watching as his friend's expression began to get graver.  
  
"The earth, it's being upset." He whispered.  
  
"Upset, what are you--"  
  
Suddenly, Dimitre climbed up on the railing and leapt down, nothing more then a shadow.  
  
"Dim! Wait! What the hell are you talking about? DIM!" Tain called, but for his summons all he received was the sight of a fleeting shadow headed towards the city. Tain cursed under his breath. He turned toward the open doors, cup forgotten, and sprinted out. He ran to the hall where all of their rooms were, and only stopped when he came to Kane's. He pounded on the door. There was no answer. Another curse escaped passed his lips.  
  
"Kane! Wake up, damn it! We have a SITUATION!" He yelled/whispered.  
  
He heard a shuffling sound from the opposite side of the door, and then, slowly, it opened. Tain stumbled forward, but kept himself from falling. He latched onto his friend's shoulders, and practically shook him.  
  
"We gotta go after him!"  
  
Kane placed his hands on his frantic friend's wrists, and gently, yet forcefully pulled them down.  
  
"There. Now, what's wrong? And start from the beginning, please." He said calmly.  
  
"Dim and I were talking, he sensed something, uh . . .said something about the earth, it being upset, and he jumped off the balcony, and started running toward the city. We gotta go after him!" Tain said, his eyes were wild, and panicked.  
  
"Okay, calm down. Dim is strong, and intelligent. He can take care of himself." Kane reasoned, brow wrinkling in thought.  
  
Tain began to nod, in agreement, and take deep breathes.  
  
"But still, he knows it isn't safe out there . . . so . . . just to be sure . . ." Kane's voice trailed off as he gently pushed the sprite to the side, and walked out into the hallway.  
  
Tain followed after him, still breathing deeply. He followed him to Cimmy's room, and waited as he knocked gently. In no time, the door opened to reveal the tall elf.  
  
"What is it?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Dim ran off with no explanation toward the city. Tain says that he seemed rather upset. Do you think you can find him, Cimmy?" Kane asked.  
  
The elfin girl nodded sharply. "It shouldn't be a problem. You had best wake everyone though. Dim is not one to run off frantic for no apparent reason."  
  
Kane nodded, and turned to go rouse his friends. He closed his eyes briefly, mentally summoning his twin sister, who awoke immediately, and joined her brother, and Tain out in the hallway. They went to awaken Timerie, who was less than happy to see them, but once informed of the situation, she was less angry.  
  
"Should we wake Kurama and Hiei?" Came the question from Timerie.  
  
They all looked at one another, deciding contemplating. Finally, Nissa shook her head.  
  
"No, this doesn't involve them." She said.  
  
"I agree." Cimmy's voiced answer was their deciding factor.  
  
"Very well then, let's go." Came Kane's calm voice.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"No way! So what'd you do?"  
  
Keiko grinned. "I kneed the s.o.b. in the crotch. What else?"  
  
Yusuke burst out laughing, literally holding his stomach. Keiko smiled. To hear his laugh again, was such an indescribable feeling. She sighed in contentment. She was here, on his bed, laughing, talking like nothing had ever come between them, and she was with HIM. Yusuke was sitting right in front of her, he was so close, that she could reach out and touch him. She could hug him, hold him . . . kiss him?  
  
Suddenly, Yusuke fell silent, upon seeing the hazy, calculating look in Keiko's eyes. She was so pretty. Slender, filled out, muscle toned, her beautiful eyes large, and deep, her honey colored hair so silky, and delicate to behold. He was almost afraid to touch those strands of hair, for fear that they would melt away in his hands . . . maybe taking her with them. He gulped. That was a fearful thought. Beautiful. She was just so beautiful. And then he noticed something else. Something so alluring. Her lips, soft, and light pink, and . . . inviting.  
  
Yusuke couldn't stop himself. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out a hand toward her cheek. Keiko closed her eyes, and leaned in to the gentle caress. Gradually, they drew nearer and nearer to one another. They were close; both pairs of lips trembled feeling the other's breath upon them. Keiko's lips were somewhat parted, offering, inviting him into the kiss. Yusuke's heart beat faster in his chest, as he leaned in closer, closer . . . closer . . .  
  
"Yusuke! Keiko!"  
  
The pair jerked away from one another in an awkward attempt to look casual. They glanced at one another with unreadable expressions, and eyes, and then Keiko broke the gaze by turning her head away from Yusuke to look at Kurama, who had just burst through the bedroom doors.  
  
Keiko cleared her throat, and got up from the bed with as much dignity as she had left.  
  
"Kurama . . . what, um . . . seems to be the problem?"  
  
The silver fox eyed her, and then Yusuke. He knew he had interrupted SOMETHING, but he really didn't have time to address it.  
  
"We have to get out of here. There's an earthquake." He said.  
  
Keiko suddenly looked very alarmed, as did Yusuke.  
  
"An earthquake? But we aren't feeling anything--"  
  
"You're on the second floor of the castle, and the quake, at the moment, is small in seismic wise, but it's going to get larger, I can feel it, and co can Hiei. We need to go, NOW."  
  
Yusuke jumped out of bed, wobbling slightly, for he was still getting accustomed to using his legs. He made his way over to where Keiko was, and grabbed her wrist, then looked at Kurama.  
  
"Let's move." He said seriously.  
  
Kurama nodded, ad started running. Yusuke let out a grunt as he swooped Keiko off the ground and into his arms.  
  
"Yusuke! You're in no condition to carry me!" Keiko protested.  
  
Yusuke was already sprinting right after Kurama. He paid no mind to her wriggling, and just tightened his grip on her.  
  
"Please Keiko, you're not going to over tax me. It's not like you're heavy." He replied rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I need to get some exercise."  
  
"Yusuke!" She cried, but her voice was lost, nothing more than a remaining echo in each hallway and corridor that they passed through.  
  
"Kurama. Where's Hiei?"  
  
The youko looked back it his old friend. "Sent him on up ahead. The kids are missing. Hiei is going to attempt to locate them with the jagan. As for us, well, we're going to follow Hiei. I've got a bad feeling about this earthquake. It happened suddenly, with no warning. There are ALWAYS warning signs."  
  
Yusuke nodded. "Fine. Let's move a little bit faster, don't worry about me."  
  
"Sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Kurama shrugged, and picked up his speed considerably, Yusuke in tow with a disgruntled looking Keiko in his arms.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Here? You're sure?" Asked Tain.  
  
Cimmy gave him the, 'OF COARSE I'm sure!' look. He shrugged.  
  
"Well I don't see him anywhere."  
  
"Don't LOOK for him, FEEL him." Argued the elfin girl.  
  
Tain let out a sigh, and closed his eyes.  
  
"There?" He asked, after a familiar tingle brushed up against his senses.  
  
Cimmy nodded. "Yes, there. Come now, we must go."  
  
The group of five young demons crept silently toward a large, gaping hole in the ground. It was difficult to make out in the dark, but Tain and Kane's eyes grew wide when they saw it.  
  
"But that's . . . it's the same hole that Keiko fell into, and Dim, he . . . why would he be back here?" Tain stumbled over his words.  
  
"Who can say?" Replied Kane.  
  
The indigo-eyed demon knelt next to the edge of the hole, examining it for his own purposes.  
  
"Careful, brother." Warned Nissa.  
  
Kane did not respond except with the slight nod of his head. His sister wondered is he had even heard her, which probably, he had not.  
  
"Is there a point to us hanging around here?" Timerie shot in impatiently.  
  
Kane rolled his eyes over to look at her.  
  
"And what do you propose we do?" He asked.  
  
"I'm not proposing anything." She said curtly, and walked up next to him.  
  
Her eyes scanned the black depths of the hole, and she made little 'um-hm- ing' noises in her throat.  
  
"Tim, what are pla--"  
  
Suddenly, Timerie jumped over the edge of the hole, her form being swallowed up by the blackness.  
  
"Timerie!" They yelled in unison, and the remaining three ran to where Kane stood, still rather shocked at his friend's unexpected feat.  
  
"Timerie! Can you here us? Tim? TIM!" Tain called her, but received no reply.  
  
"I don't believe this!" He said rather indignantly.  
  
"Now what do we do?" Came Nissa's question.  
  
There was a brief pause as the remaining friends glanced at one another, asking silent questions, and receiving answers just as quietly.  
  
"Screw this! I'm goin' in after them!" Tain exclaimed abruptly.  
  
He was about to step over the edge when a hand caught his collar, yanking him backwards with a force. The sprite stumbled backwards, and could not detain from falling to the ground, making a cloud of dust and dirt rise up. This combined with the fog, and darkness greatly impaired their vision. However, it became all to clear who had kept Tain from jumping when a pair of almond shaped, crimson red eyes appeared, glowing ominously.  
  
"Hiei?" Asked Kane.  
  
The fire youkai stepped into their eyesight after he hearing his name. He looked a few at least two light years from happy.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing out here?" He asked a little to calmly for comfort.  
  
Nissa stepped forward, while Kane helped Tain off of the ground.  
  
"Dim disappeared, we came here to find him." She said.  
  
"Then would you mind telling me where he is?" He asked.  
  
Nissa bit her lip. "I . . . we don't know." She replied a little defeated.  
  
He acknowledged this fact with a snort. "And the other one? Where's Timerie?"  
  
" . . . I'm afraid we don't know that either."  
  
Hiei let out an aggravated sigh. Children! Honestly, he wasn't a babysitter! Hiei opened his mouth, fully intent on saying something that would degrade them, but then, the ground began to rumble and shake beneath them.  
  
"What's going on?" Cried Tain, trying to keep his balance.  
  
Hiei cursed as the shaking became more violent. Yusuke, Kurama, and Keiko. He wasn't sure where they were, or what to do from this point. Where was this quake coming from? Suddenly, a shrill scream sliced through the air. He snapped his head in the direction of it, and found the source. The ground around Nissa was beginning to crack and break, caving in the same way that it had with Keiko.  
  
"Nissa!" Cried Kane. He started after her, but stopped when a black streak zipped passed him, landing right next to Nissa.  
  
The blur was none other than Hiei. The fire youkai made an attempt to pick her up into his arms, but for once, something was quicker than he was, and the ground caved in, taking both demons with it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"These quakes are getting stronger." Commented Keiko.  
  
Yusuke's leg slid out from under him slightly, which made him stumble, but he recovered quickly.  
  
"Tell me something I don't know." He replied sarcastically. "Hey Kurama! How much further?"  
  
The fox looked back at the couple, and then turned his attention back in front of him.  
  
"Not far." He replied simply.  
  
"What's that up there?" Pointed out Keiko.  
  
Yusuke strained his eyes to see what she was pointing at, and in his concentration did not notice that Kurama had stopped running. He ran straight into him, causing him to drop Keiko, and to fall. Kurama looked back, and stifled a chuckle. Keiko pulled herself off of the ground, and glared menacingly at Yusuke, who also found his feet.  
  
"Better enjoy standing, Urameshi, because when I'm through with you, you won't be doin' it for looooong time." Keiko threatened.  
  
Yusuke grinned sheepishly. Keiko was so cute when she was angry!  
  
"Is that them?" Keiko asked, ignoring Yusuke in favor of Kurama. Yusuke frowned, but turned his attention to what the other two were looking at.  
  
Kurama nodded. "Yes, I'm almost positive." He replied.  
  
Keiko rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, ALMOST. That's reassuring." She said.  
  
"Would you rather hear 'almost' from me, or from Yusuke?"  
  
Keiko nodded her head. "Hm. Touché."  
  
Yusuke's frown deepened. "I can hear you." He said indignantly. Once again he was ignored.  
  
"Come on." Kurama said, taking the lead once more.  
  
The trio walked cautiously up to the few shadowed figures standing scattered around two large holes almost right next to one another.  
  
"Kane?" Called Keiko softly, as she could make out the silhouette of his horns.  
  
"Yes, I'm here." He called back. Something in his voice alarmed her.  
  
"What's wrong? Where are the others?" She asked.  
  
"We don't know." Broke in Tain.  
  
"I think you should start from the beginning."  
  
And so, Tain quickly gave them the details of what had happened up to the point of their arrival. The three listened grimly.  
  
"We have no choice then. We'll go after them." Yusuke said.  
  
"Without a plan?" Questioned Keiko.  
  
"What CAN we plan, Keiko? We don't know what's down there, except our friends. We'll have to risk it."  
  
Keiko sighed nervously. Bad, foreboding feelings were jumping around within her, and either butterflies or demons (she wasn't sure which) were wrestling in her stomach.  
  
"I'm afraid I agree with Yusuke. We don't know what to plan for." Said Kurama. Both Cimmy, and Kane nodded in agreement, and Tain just stood there, also a little uneasy about the situation.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Timerie, Timerie, are you okay?" Dim shook the girl gently. She began to stir very slightly at first, and then she opened her eyes, but only half way. She saw two familiar faces leaning over her, watching her with some concern, and then another less familiar face watching her with no expression at all.  
  
"Nissa? What--"  
  
"Hiei came looking for us after you jumped. He and I got caught up in a cave-in and ended up down here. We ran into Dim shortly afterwards. Are you okay?" Nissa asked, extending her hand to her.  
  
Timerie accepted her help gratefully, and took Nissa's hand, and then Nissa pulled her to her feet.  
  
"I'm okay, but remind never to do that again."  
  
The brunette smiled. "Count on it."  
  
"Enough." Hiei's deep voice cut in. "We should get moving." He said.  
  
At that moment, the ground above them, and below them shuttered, little pieces of soil rained down on them.  
  
"I'm feeling . . . something, in that direction." Hiei said, ignoring the shaking. He unsheathed his sword, and used it point in the direction of which he spoke.  
  
"Should we go without the others?" Questioned Timerie.  
  
"We don't have a choice." Hiei replied, and started walking.  
  
The three friends glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed Hiei. They walked for another slice of eternity, and no one spoke, not even through telepathy. They simply walked on. Eventually, Timerie's mind began to wander. She wasn't paying attention really, and so, when Nissa, Dim, and Hiei came to an abrupt halt, she smacked right into the back of Dim, and cursed under her breath. Icy eyes eyed her amusedly. She frowned, and regained composure. She noticed that they had stopped right before the turning of a corner, and wondered why they didn't just go on. Actually, the thought of voicing her question came to mind, but upon seeing Hiei's concentrated form, she thought better of it.  
  
"Get down." Hiei said suddenly.  
  
They looked at him oddly, not reacting. Hiei turned to face them, and his eyes narrowed.  
  
"I said get down!"  
  
This time they obeyed, and none to soon, for just as they hit the ground, the wall of dirt separating them from the dome on the other side was blown completely away, showering them with cool, damp dirt. Hiei jumped away from this, and into the large room. He was already in a defensive stance, but he noticed something odd about the place, that wasn't there before. The gray stonewalls, and floors were covered with symbols, symbols from an ancient language that he could not read, and they were painted with blood. His eyes narrowed into crimson slits. There wasn't anything in the room really save for the bloody symbols. Even the well filled with mangled corpses stood unaltered. So where had that blast come from? He glanced over and saw Nissa, Timerie, and Dim fairing well enough, still a little surprised he imagined. Did he dare to use the jagan? What choice did he have though? With a sigh, Hiei ripped the white band from his head, letting it waft to the floor. The purple eye glowed eerily in the strange presence of the bluish light that inhabited the dome. He closed his red eyes, and the fire- youkai allowed the jagan eye to grasp onto his senses, tugging at them, pulling, directing his attention to various areas, and then moving on quickly. It briefly examined the well, passed over it, and then suddenly, went straight back to it. Hiei opened his eyes, and locked the well in his sights. Cautiously, he approached the well. He wasn't sure WHAT he had felt, but he had felt SOMETHING, and that was enough cause for worry. He peeked his head in, and saw the mangled corpses, nothing out of the ordinary, but yet, there was nagging feeling that he couldn't et rid of.  
  
"What could . . ." His sentence trailed off as the ground around him began to shake and shutter violently. "Damn it!" He cursed, and that's when he felt it. A ki rising first from the floor, then crawling up the walls. It filled the place like smoke, and it surrounded him, suffocating his own ki. He felt weak suddenly, his eyelids became heavy. Something was here, that much was obvious, but whatever it was it refused to show itself in form. He glanced over quickly to the three young demons. They were breathing hard, as if something heavy was pressing down on their chests. The air was thick, and Hiei watched as the three young youkai suddenly collapsed to the ground. Try as he might, Hiei also succumbed to unconsciousness.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, and the other three, a shadow loomed over his form. The demon wore black, had long white hair, darkly tanned skin, and eyes with pupils as black as the raven. He was obviously an older youkai, wise looking, and yet extremely vain, and he had a pure look of malice. A grin spread across his features as he reached a hand down to stroke Hiei's cheek.  
  
"Powerful, aren't you?"  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Here we are again." Keiko said dryly. They were in the dark, deep, underground now, walking down the interminably long, dirt corridor. She was still uneasy about everything. The moment that they all hit the ground, Kurama and Yusuke had said that they felt something. Although, they weren't sure what that something was, which just added to the tension.  
  
"Yusuke."  
  
Keiko turned her attention to the voice, which belonged to Tain. She noticed Yusuke's head turn to look at the sprite.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
  
"After . . . all of this is over, what will you do?" Tain asked. He sounded nervous.  
  
Yusuke shrugged. "Pick up where I left off I guess." He answered casually.  
  
Keiko cursed in her mind. 'Baka Yusuke! Don't you know where this is going?' She thought.  
  
"Pick up where you left off. . ." Tain paused. "In what life?" He finished just above a whisper.  
  
"What do--"  
  
"Look!" Everyone turned their attention toward Cimmy, who was pointing up ahead a ways.  
  
Keiko gasped, and Kurama was silent. Yusuke cocked his head, and Tain's eyes were wide. The entire wall of dirt had been blown out, leaving a perfect view of the stone-enshrouded dome.  
  
"How could that have happened?" Asked Tain, more to himself than anyone else.  
  
Keiko approached the pile of dirt carefully. She tilted her head slightly to the side.  
  
'What could that be?' She asked mentally, her eyes seeing something or perhaps even the plural option of that word.  
  
As she drew closer, that eerie blue light made exactly what, or rather, who was lying there more obvious. She gasped.  
  
"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, and sprinted over to the bodies of Dim, Nissa, and Timerie. "Yusuke!" She called, as she took Timerie into her arms. The demon's breathing was labored.  
  
"Timerie! Timerie, please wake up!" She pleaded, gently shaking the green- eyed girl.  
  
"Hey, Keiko what's--" Yusuke appeared behind her along with the others. "Shit!" He exclaimed, as he knelt down next to Keiko. He put a hand to Timerie's brow.  
  
"Tim, hey Tim, can you hear me?" He asked. No reply. Surprising? Not really. But hope can be both a curse, and a blessing, can it not?  
  
Keiko winced as she heard the pained cries from Tain, and Kane. Cimmy stood stalk still, watching, afraid to move, to think, to breath. Her friend's were lying motionless on the ground, and of their condition or how they got that way was unknown. How could this happen?  
  
Kane took Nissa into his arms. "Nissa, Nissa wake up." He said calmly at first. He shook her. "Nissa . . . please." His voice cracked. "You're alright Nissa, you're a healer, you can't be hurt . . . Nissa, Nissa!" He called a bit louder, only this time, tears began to brim his indigo eyes.  
  
Tain, in the meantime, had found Dimitre's body. He held his friend close to him. "Dim, you can't hear me, can you? It's me, Tain. Dim, you gotta wake up, and tell us what happened, you have to be alright, okay? You can't . . . go anywhere without me, you know that, Dim. Dim wake up, damn it!" Tain shook the black clad figure, and nothing happened.  
The sprite's fists tightened, and he hugged the unconscious body to his chest. His knuckles were turning white, and he clenched his teeth. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Cimmy standing there, a little lost looking, confused, and scared. Gently, he turned his head back to Dimitre and set him down. Then, Tain stood up, and looked Cimmy square in her eyes. He then brought her into a hug, which she, at first, was wary of, and then returned gratefully.  
  
"At least they're all alive still." Kurama said, his voice sympathetic, and yet commanding, as if the time for mourning had passed. "However, I think it would be wise to get them out of here." He continued.  
  
"I'll go." Offered Yusuke, suddenly looking very angry, and determined.  
  
Kurama shook his head. "No, we might need you--"  
  
"Then I'll go." Keiko piped up.  
  
Everyone turned to look at her.  
  
"I can't take them all out at a time, but, I can get them out easily enough. That way, I won't be in your way if a fight should take place . . . and plus, well, it's only fair that I do SOMETHING worth while." She reasoned.  
Kurama nodded. But Yusuke seemed to hesitate.  
  
"Keiko . . ." He started. But the girl held a hand up for silence.  
  
"Yusuke, how could anything bad happen?"  
  
"What about those gross things up there?"  
  
"They're weak. I can handle them. Honestly, Yusuke, I'm a bit different now than I was seven years ago, just trust me."  
  
Yusuke could not help but be wary, however, Keiko had won the debate, and she did not waste time in putting Nissa on her back, and running off. Yusuke watched her until he couldn't see her, then he sighed.  
  
"Cimmy, Kane. You guys grab Dim, and Timerie and take them back a ways so that they'll be safer."  
  
The elfin girl, and the horned youkai nodded, and did as told.  
  
"Tain, you come with Kurama and I." Yusuke instructed. Tain merely nodded, and followed the fox and Yusuke into the strange dome. Kurama explained to Yusuke the well, and then broke into his theory that he had told Hiei only hours before. Tain was careful to avoid the well.  
  
"Hiei. Where is he anyway?" Yusuke asked.  
  
Kurama shook his head. "I don't know, I'm starting to worry about him . . . I . . ."  
  
"Do you feel that, Kurama?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Yes . . . it's strong."  
  
Suddenly, they sensed the strong, heavy ki that surrounded them, obviously trying to over power them. However, Yusuke was strong, as was Kurama, and neither demon fell victim the trap. This was not true for the young Tain, though, and after a few moments, he fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"Damn it!" Yusuke cursed. "He's too weak to stand it. Hey! Whoever's doing this! Why don't you be a man, and get the hell out here!" He yelled, his vice echoing about the room.  
  
The ki suddenly disappeared, and there was a moment of stillness. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble again, and a strange light escaped from the cracks in between the stone. Almost as if the stone floor was heaving, it began to rise up, and then, the stones broke out of place, some flying in to the air, and Yusuke and Kurama easily dodged those. A figure began to rise out, black eyes flashing like polished obsidian, white hair swirling around him. He levitated in the air for a fraction of a second before landing, arms crossed proudly over his chest.  
  
"Welcome, gentlemen." He said, with a smug little smile.  
  
Yusuke glared, and Kurama narrowed his eyes dangerously. About that time, Cimmy, and Kane ran into the room, but stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing the foreign demon, and then at seeing their unconscious friend.  
  
"You're all here just in time to witness the greatest occurrence in the history of the Makai." Said the demon. "For I, Kakyai, am about to become the most powerful being in all the worlds!"  
  
"Over my dead body!" Shouted Yusuke.  
  
The one called Kakyai raised a bushy white eyebrow.  
  
"Indeed, it will be. As well, as your youko friend, and those two youngsters . . . oh yes, and . . . him."  
  
All of the sudden, a body appeared levitating next to the elderly demon. Kurama's eyes went wide.  
  
"Hiei!" He shouted.  
  
Then, all surprise melted away, his expression deadly, his eyes beginning to glow brightly.  
  
"Let him go." He said simply, and so calmly that even Kakyai took a moment to notice, and to size up the silver fox.  
  
Eventually though, he shook his head.  
  
"This one is strong. It is unfortunate that he has the jagan, for without he, would not have been susceptible to my ki trap."  
  
Kurama was literally shaking with rage. He pulled out a red rose, and transformed it into a torn covered whip. Without hesitation, he attacked, expertly swinging it in amazing attack patterns. However, each attack was evaded, or blocked. Kakyai suddenly lashed out with his hand, and Kurama moved, but not quickly enough to avoid being hit. Kakyai's hand sunk deep into Kurama's side, and blood gushed out from the wound. The old demon grinned evilly, as he pulled his hand out from the gash, throwing Kurama to the ground.  
  
"Kurama!" Yusuke yelled, and ran to his friend. He gathered the youko into his arms.  
  
"Kurama . . ."  
  
Kurama winced in pain. A portion of his gauzy white clothing was drenched with blood, as were a few of his silvery strands of hair.  
  
"Get . . . Hiei." He said, but his voice was hoarse, and his breathing becoming labored, and shallow.  
  
"Kurama, you're--" Yusuke began.  
  
"Going to be okay . . . just get . . . Hiei . . . please." He pleaded, and then closed his eyes, and his muscles went limp.  
  
Yusuke examined his fallen companion, gingerly brushing a few strands of hair out of his face. Then, he nodded determined.  
  
"Don't worry Kurama, I'll get him." He said quietly.  
  
Yusuke laid him out on the ground, carefully, and then he stood up to face Kakyai who was smirking proudly.  
  
"So strong, and yet so weak." He commented casually.  
  
Yusuke glared at him. "You do know, that you're going to die, don't you?" He asked.  
Kakyai did not respond, merely continued to smirk. He turned his pitch black eyes to the two other demons that surrounded the fallen sprite. Cimmy faced his stoically.  
  
Her eyes began to glow, and little flashes of electrical energy began to flash around them. She stood up, and began levitating in the air.  
  
"You must be punished for your crimes. Death would be to kind, but it is the only way to be rid of you." She said.  
  
"Cimmy, don't!" Yusuke yelled.  
  
She ignored him though, and her own hair began swirl about her, her garments blowing in a sudden wind. As if a storm had entered the dome, dark, voluminous clouds began forming above them, the crash of thunder could be heard rumbling, and lightening flashed menacingly. Cimmy's hand raised upward, her long nails shimmering. Suddenly, a bolt of lightening seemed to be extracted from the clouds, directed at Kakyai. She then brought her hand down, and the lightening followed, seemingly striking it's target. The room filled with a bright light, quite blinding actually. Yusuke shielded his eyes. When the flash faded, everyone looked in the spot where the elderly demon had been standing, only to find it vacant.  
  
"Alright, Cimmy! That was awesome! You got him!" Yusuke cheered.  
  
Yusuke noticed Hiei had fallen to the floor, and he ran quickly up to the petite youkai, and picked him up. He carried him over to where Kurama was, and laid him next to the youko.  
  
Cimmy descended from the air, landing gracefully on the ground. She sighed in relief. However, relief was brief, because suddenly, Kane yelled out, obviously distressed. Cimmy turned around to look at him just in time to be struck across the face with a powerful fist. The force sent her flying through the air, and into the stonewall. Her head knocked hard against it, and she fell unconscious to the floor.  
  
Kakyai stood smiling. "She's powerful. Pity really. Now, as for you." He turned to Kane, who starred at him both nervously and defiantly.  
  
"No!" Yusuke cried, running to get in between Kane and Kakyai.  
  
Kane was a fairly good martial artist, but he was also a healer, not a fighter.  
  
"Come now, you know he'll have to go eventually. I'll get rid of you and go after him. You're merely delaying the inevitable. Use a little common sense, boy."  
  
Yusuke spit to the side, and then faced him squarely.  
  
"Sorry, but common sense isn't one of my strong suits." He replied.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Keiko climbed out of the huge hole, and deposited Dim's body on the ground next to the other three.  
  
"There ya go, all better. Now just give me a minute to breath, and I'll take you to the gates too." She said, wiping her hands on her clothes, which were dirty anyway, but she did it out of habit.  
She had decided that there was plenty of vegetation surrounding the entrance gates, and so that was where she had put Timerie and Nissa. Soon, Dimitre would join them.  
  
After a few moments, Keiko took a deep breath and hauled Dimitre onto her back, quickly making her way all the way back to the front gates. When she got there, she rapidly located the other two demons, and laid Dim down next to them. Now that they were out of that place, they seemed to be much better. In fact, it looked like they were all just sleeping, almost peacefully!  
  
"I wish I were you guys." She said.  
  
Suddenly, she was very aware of her exhaustion. How long had it been since she had last slept? She couldn't recall exactly, but then, she imagined that she didn't want to know really, and settled for 'too long'.  
  
She collapsed down next to the three sleeping friends.  
  
"Oh I don't think I've been this tired since . . . ever." She said.  
  
She wondered about Yusuke and the others. Should she go back? What if there really WAS a battle? What then? Could she be of any help? Probably not. She was only human after all. Keiko took note to the fact that the blackness of the night was beginning to fade into the sultry gray color that was the day. She got up then, curious, and went to the large wall that bordered the city. There were a few gnarled trees that she used to climb up, so as to look over the wall. It was quiet, and a gentle breeze swooped around her playing merrily with her hair. That was when her eyes glimpsed it. Out in the distance, beyond that forest, she could see a small glint of orange- gold light shimmering on the horizon. Keiko smiled. The sun, it was so pretty in the early morning.  
  
She spent a few more minutes starring at the beautiful, morning sight, before she began to climb back down. Just then though, something else caught her eye. She pulled herself back up into her previous position, and squinted. Something was coming . . .  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yusuke sent another spirit gun attack, which was easily dodged.  
  
"Kane! Get Cimmy, Hiei, Kurama, and Tain out of here!" He ordered without bothering to look back at the healer.  
  
"Nonsense! He'll miss the best part." Kakyai laughed, dodging yet another attack.  
  
Suddenly though, he stopped, and Yusuke, surprised, did too.  
  
"It is time." Spoke the elder demon.  
  
Yusuke narrowed his eyes. "What the hell does THAT mean!?" He questioned.  
  
Kakyai's black eyes glinted.  
  
"Why it's quite simple my boy. You're about to die." He answered cynically.  
Before Yusuke could respond, Kakyai began levitating in the air once again. A strange, black aura filled with white lightening vibrated off of him. His white hair took the air again. He began chanting a rhythmic string of foreign words. His voice began to fill the room like thunder trapped in a chest, and the stones began crumbling. Yusuke glanced around for his friends, and saw Kane carrying off Hiei. The rest were already out. He thanked Yama for that blessing.  
  
Suddenly, spots of red mist began appearing scattered all around, and materializing into those disgusting beasts. Kakyai continued chanting, and to Yusuke, his words began to sound like a baritone hum in his ears.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The 'something' that Keiko had saw approaching turned out to be a whole bunch of 'somethings'. She was surprised to recognize a certain horned king, and innumerable soldiers following him. As they drew near, Keiko jumped down from her tree, and landed easily. She sprinted to the gate, throwing it open. Without hesitation, she ran out, her destination was Yomi. She ran full on into the horned youkai, once reaching him, she wrapped her hands tightly around his waist in a huge hug. Yomi, to say the least, was surprised. He wasn't sure exactly what to do, but he lightly wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a nervous embrace. Keiko pulled away then.  
  
"Yomi! Thank God you're here!" She exclaimed.  
  
He nodded, about to open his mouth to speak, but Keiko cut him off.  
  
"We have major problems, and people down, and it's bad! Wait, how did you know to come? I thought you couldn't come." Keiko blurted out.  
  
Yomi blinked, shook his head, and took a deep breath.  
  
"The situation has become far to urgent for me to follow any sort of treaty. I knew to come here because one of my spies dragged the carcass of one of those monsters back to Gandara. Ellena told me something rather alarming. I felt it necessary to be here." He said.  
  
Keiko smiled. "Good timing. Come with me, and I'll explain everything."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The chanting became louder, and a strange wind began to flood the room. It howled loudly, and yet, Kakyai's voice rose above it, strong, and undaunted. An eerie red aura outlines the creatures, and Yusuke gasped as one by one, red lights began to float from their bodies. The lights were their souls. The souls flew from their temporary bodies, leaving the beasts lifeless on the floor, and headed straight towards Kakyai. The first one struck him in the gut, causing him to cry out. Another hit him from behind, and from that point the souls just kept bombarding him. His body absorbed each and every one. Veins pulsed in his neck and forehead; his mouth hung open, emitting screams. Perhaps the most disturbing trait was his eyes, as the obsidian black disappeared along with the pupils. In its place was the color of blood red, which covered the entire eye.  
  
Yusuke cursed. He didn't know what this meant, but he had a feeling that it wasn't a GOOD thing. He had to do something . . . but how do you stop a soul? Easy, you destroy it, but if you destroy it, you destroy the being that it belongs to. Something clicked. Kurama had explained his theory, and if the youkai in the well were dead, what did he have to worry about?  
  
"Yes!" He shouted. "Hey!" He yelled, trying to get the older demon's attention.  
  
Blood red eyes locked onto him, despite the pain and labored breathing. Yusuke smiled in a bittersweet way.  
  
"You obviously think very highly of yourself, don't ya? Think ya got this whole thing nice and planned out perfectly, right? Wrong! You made one fatal error."  
  
"What?" Screamed Kakyai.  
  
Yusuke balled up his fist. "Shotgun!" He shouted.  
  
The room was littered with little streaks of blue light. His ki swarmed the red souls attacking them in mid flight, and destroying them on impact. With each one that was scuttled, Kakyai cried out in even more pain. For once out of the temporary bodies, the souls became a part of him.  
  
Yusuke smiled when each and everyone was destroyed. Kakyai fell to the floor, making an indent. His chest rose and fell slowly, and his eyes diverted back to their original color. Yusuke towered over him, smile gone, and replaced by a look of hatred.  
  
"You hurt my friends you S.O.B, and I'm going to kill you." He stated.  
  
Obsidian eyes went wide, but nothing more, for Yusuke let loose a powerful spirit gun attack, ending his life right then and there. All that was left of the elder demon was a smoldering corpse.  
  
Yusuke starred at him hard, and then his eyes became heavy, and he fell to the ground exhausted. He too was breathing hard.  
  
"Keiko . . . was . . . right . . . to much . . . to soon . . ." He said, and then succumbed to sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Keiko ran on ahead of Yomi and his troops, but they all followed her lead. She had already explained to them the details, and Yomi, in turn, explained what he and Ellena had learned. The revelation that he revealed frightened the girl, causing her to break into a sprint. Without so much of an ounce of hesitation, Keiko leapt into the hole, hit the ground, fell, rolled to her side, pushed herself up, and continued running. She was frantic. Suddenly, though, se tripped over something. It was definitely a someone. She panicked more. She couldn't see in the dark, but she knelt down to try and feel who it was. Her hand hit spiky hair.  
  
"Hiei!" She exclaimed. He was out, that much was obvious. "Oh God, um . . . you guys!" She called back to Yomi who was hot on her heels. She heard footsteps coming in the opposite direction of the horned king, and then saw the glowing indigo eyes of Kane.  
  
He knelt down next to Keiko.  
  
"You've brought help, good. I'll wait here for them, you go on ahead, I know you must be anxious to get to Yusuke." He said.  
  
Keiko bit her lip. "Are you alright?" She asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She paused. " . . . Is Yusuke."  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know. Kurama, Hiei, and Cimmy were all injured. Yusuke instructed me to get them out of there. I haven't been back since. I wanted to help, but I'm not really a fighter . . . I . . ."  
  
Keiko put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Kane. Oh yes and Nissa and the others, they're all fine. Just sleeping I think."  
  
And with those few words, Keiko stood up, and ran down the corridor.  
  
She came to the blown out wall, and gasped at the all of the destruction. The well had shattered, causing a few of the decaying pieces of the dead youkai to be scattered about the room. As if that wasn't disgusting enough, there were also the bodies of those weird, gross looking creatures! Keiko gagged, but regained her composure quickly when she caught sight of Yusuke lying still on the floor.  
  
She ran to his side, knelt down, and gathered him into her arms. He was breathing, his pulse was strong enough, and he had a few scratches and potential bruises. Other than that he was okay. Keiko sighed in relief.  
  
"Idiot." She said, but smiled down on him fondly. "I just found you, and you could have gotten yourself killed. How cheated would I feel, hm? You ever think about that? I completely blew off an opportunity to tour the States, get some amazing photos, and write another award winning story, just so I could come here to be with you. Then you almost get yourself killed? You selfish jerk." She said, as if he could hear her.  
But perhaps he could, as he shifted slightly in his sleep, and mumbled something. Keiko looked at him, shaking her head fondly. Her eyes then drifted to the singed body clad in black.  
  
"And you must be the bad guy." She said bitterly. "Give Koenma and Botan my love, you son of a bitch."  
  
At that moment, she heard Yomi call her name.  
  
"In here!" She yelled back.  
  
The horned king stepped through the dome along with six or seven soldiers. He looked in disgust at everything, and then came up to Keiko.  
  
"Is he alright?" He asked, looked at Yusuke.  
  
Keiko brushed a few rogue strands of hair from his face. She gazed down at him.  
  
"He'll live." She answered.  
  
Yomi nodded. "We'll gather up the injured, and take them back to Gandara. Everyone can heal there."  
  
Keiko smiled up at him. "Thank you." She replied.  
  
Yomi nodded, and bent down, taking Yusuke into his arms.  
  
"Let's get out of here." He said.  
  
Keiko stood also, and nodded in agreement.  
  
"Let's."  
  
"Move out!" Cried Yomi.  
  
All of the soldiers hustled toward the door in an orderly fashion. Yomi followed his men, and Keiko followed Yomi. However, something made her stop. She turned around to look at the destroyed room. Her eyes fell upon the body of Kakyai. She starred at him hard, and for some unknown reason when he started move, and push himself up, Keiko was not surprised. In fact, she waited until he had hobbled to his feet, and inspected the room. She deliberately cleared her throat. He turned around, startled. Keiko narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Get back on the ground." She said irritably.  
  
She brought her hand up, and concentrated. A purple dagger appeared between her first and middle finger. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the blade flying. It hit him square in the chest, and he fell to the ground, this time, dead for good. Keiko took one last glance at him, and then turned on her heel.  
  
"Time to get the hell out of here." She mumbled, and disappeared down the corridor. 


	15. A Snag in Love Chapter 15 the end

Disclaimer: This is this story's last disclaimer people. I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho  
Random Person: We know!  
Me: So don't try to sue me! God! What do you people WANT from me!  
Random Person: ::Runs out crying::  
Author's Note: Well folks, this is it. The conclusion to A Snag in Love. I've had fun writing this story, and I'd like to thank all that reviewed for me. You guys are great, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. ^_^  
Chapter: 15  
He let out a groan as he felt himself teetering on the edge consciousness. He didn't WANT to wake up! His head began to throb, and his muscles began to ache. Suddenly, he felt a cool, familiar palm on his forehead. He willed his eyes to slowly open, but snapped them shut once the light hit them.  
  
"Stop being such a baby Yusuke. Open your eyes." Said an even more familiar voice.  
  
He groaned again, and once again, attempted to open his eyes. This time, he managed to make his eyelids go all the way up, revealing sleep glazed eyes.  
  
"Morning." He mumbled.  
  
Keiko looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"A little late Yusuke. It's night." She replied.  
  
Yusuke chuckled. He looked her up and down. Keiko was wearing a pair of baggy khakis, an undershirt, and a blue over shirt. Her glossy hair hung down around her face, and her eyes were bright. He tried to sit up, but failed, much to his embarrassment.  
  
Keiko rushed to help him, and after a short little struggle, Yusuke was sitting up, his back leaning against a bunch of soft pillows.  
  
"How do you feel?" Keiko asked, taking a seat on the side of the bed.  
  
Yusuke shrugged. How did he feel? Like the equivalent of shit, but who was he to complain? At least he was alive. . . .Alive.  
  
"Keiko!"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Kurama, and Hiei, the others. Where are they? Are they okay?" The frantic questions tumbled from his tongue, and Keiko seemed to catch every one of them.  
  
"Kurama is alright, his wound is healing nicely. Hiei is regaining his strength quickly, as one might expect, Tain, Timerie, Nissa, and Dimitre have all woken up and are walking around like nothing ever happened. In fact, they've been helping out around here. Kane is fine, he was never injured, and Cimmy is fine too. You're the last one to wake up, Yusuke. . . lazy." She added playfully.  
  
Yusuke sighed in relief. "Good. I was worried." He paused to think a moment. "Um Keiko, would you mind explaining to me where 'here' is exactly?"  
  
Keiko smiled. "Yomi's. After you went down, Yomi and his soldiers arrived. They were coming to help, but obviously arrived to late. He was kind enough to care for everyone. He's offered to let you stay here until you get back on your feet." She said.  
  
"How long have I been out?"  
  
"Oh, I'd say a about a week."  
  
Yusuke's eyes went wide. "That long!?" He exclaimed.  
  
"Like I said, you're lazy." She replied.  
  
Yusuke rolled his eyes, and sighed.  
  
"So everything is okay now, huh?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, everything is okay now."  
  
A silence ensued, but for some reason, it was a comfortable silence, unlike so many of the previous. However, a knock on the door shattered the peace, and Keiko gracefully got up from her seat to answer. Yusuke watched her as she crossed the room, and opened the doors, but only so much. He could not see who was on the opposite side. He listened as he heard the murmur of soft voices, and then Keiko turned around and closed the door. She carried a tray over to him.  
  
"Here. Ellena sends this. The tea will help you to regain your strength, but I'll warn you, it might kill your taste buds." Keiko said, setting the tray down across the Yusuke's lap.  
  
He looked at the various foods, his stomach grumbling, but something poked at his mind, a question. Keiko started to walk away from him, and Yusuke looked up, abruptly catching her wrist.  
  
"Yusuke, I'm just going to get you some fresh clothing, I'll be right back." She said.  
  
Yusuke starred intently at her.  
  
"Be back. For how long, Keiko?" He asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"For how long?" Yusuke persisted.  
  
Keiko shook her head. "I don't understand what you mean."  
  
"After . . . all of this, are you leaving?"  
  
Keiko blinked, but then sighed, and sat down on the edge of the bed once again. She took Yusuke's hands in her own, removing the tray from her path.  
"Leaving? Why would I leave? I don't really have anything to go back to. My life back on Earth is empty, and to tell you the truth, I get lonely. Yusuke, I didn't come here believing that I wanted to be with you again. I came here telling myself that I hated you, and that I was only tagging along because Kurama and Hiei sent me on a gilt trip. The truth is, Yusuke, that I really came here because . . . because I never stopped loving you."  
  
Yusuke brought his hand up to cup Keiko's cheek. Tears stung his eyes, and he pulled her in for a tight embrace. Keiko returned the hug just as eagerly.  
  
"Please, tell my you're not a figment of my imagination, that you're really going to stay here with me. I don't want to live without you." Yusuke said, choking back sobs.  
  
Keiko hugged him tighter.  
  
"I'm not a figment of your imagination, and I'm not going anywhere." She said.  
  
"Promise me?" He asked.  
  
Keiko gazed at him through glassy eyes. The piece that had disappeared from her life so long ago was sitting right in front of her. He was asking for her presence, for . . . her. And she wanted him, oh how she wanted him. There was nothing tying her to the human world, nothing that she wasn't willing to let go of. The Makai. It wasn't such a terrible place. Actually, it was quite beautiful, and so unscathed, unlike the Ningenkai. She had come to know demons here, demons that she considered her friends. Yusuke's territory. They could rebuild it . . . together, and that dreadful castle could be given the woman's touch that it longed for.  
  
Tears slid down her cheeks now.  
  
"Yusuke," she began softly. "You're all I need."  
  
And they sealed their promise with a kiss.  
-OWARI 


End file.
